Policies on Microsoft Conferencing

Poorly configured policies are a security risk.

Microsoft Lync Server 2010 is a real-time network server used by businesses to perform peer-to-peer file transfers and engage in online audio/video conferences. Included with the suite are a myriad of policy settings that apply to either conference organizers or conference participants. It is important to configure these correctly, as improperly configured policies may inadvertently permit a competitor or hacker to tune in for what might be a private conference.

Meeting Size Policy

Lync Server includes several policies to limit the size of a Microsoft conference. The foremost policy is "Maximum meeting size," which specifies how many total participants may join the conference. Another policy is "Allow participants to invite anonymous users." This determines whether a participant may invite an interested friend to join -- something which can be useful in telemarketing-type conferences.

Audio and Video Policies

Some businesses prefer to host only text-based conferences, while others think it wiser to include audio and video content. These can be configured with the "Enable recording," "Allows external and unauthenticated participants to record the meeting," "Enable IP audio" and "Allows the use of audio and video in a meeting" policies. The first two allow participants and invited guests to record the conference, while the latter two permit the organizer to present audio and video content.

Control Policies

You might share a video during a conference, but not necessarily want the participants to be able to download it to their computers. This can be controlled through the "Allow federated and anonymous participants to download content" policy. If your conference is being operated on a large-scale LAN, it may be necessary for a participant from another floor to take over another participant or even the organizer's computer. The policy relating to this is "Allow federated and anonymous participants to take control."

Content Sharing

If you intend to host a business conference for your employers, it may be necessary to allow them to share files, applications or audio files. "Enable application and desktop sharing" lets server users schedule meetings that incorporate the aforementioned features, whereas the "Enable peer-to-peer file transfer" policy permits participants to share key business files among themselves. Also included is the "Enable peer-to-peer recording" policy, which allows users to record each other speaking.

References

• Microsoft TechNet: Microsoft Lync Conferency Policy Settings Reference