Will Blockchain Video Conferencing Make Video Chats More Secure?
You can’t trust the internet. We all know it, and yet we use it hundreds of times a day without feeling any anxiety in the moment. We’ve come to accept an implicit risk in every transaction we make online, from banking to social media, and we ride our luck–like trusting other drivers on the roads to do the right thing.
But what if we had access to an internet where we didn’t need blind trust? What if there was an internet without “middlemen” between us and the friends, businesses, and entertainment we seek?
Blockchain technology is being promoted as the magic sauce that will make this hypothetical world a reality. It’s often referred to as a “trustless” network because every transaction made within a specific system is recorded and shared among the entire group–no one has to be taken at their word and no one controls any central gateway all must pass.
Blockchain is near-universally praised as a new level of security for digital transactions, one strong enough to support the entire Bitcoin currency system, which begs the question–could blockchain video conferencing be the most secure way to communicate in the future?
Blockchain Explained
At its most basic, blockchain technology is a shared record of transactions, all chained together so that they cannot be broken. You just have to slightly tweak the way you understand a few of those terms in order to fully understand the technology.
By “shared” I mean everybody, or rather every computer, within a system has a duplicate copy of this record book that is updated instantly–there’s no single reserve all can access. Each record exists individually and is of equal importance.
Every action that occurs within a system is noted in every copy of the record, and every action must be authorized by every other record book keeper. These actions are then “chained” together permanently like the lines of a novel in which each new set of words is dependant on the ones before and after.
Most people associate blockchain technology with digital currency like Bitcoin, but since blockchain deals in digital information, it can be applied to all sorts of online transactions, including video conferencing.
Blockchain Video Conferencing Is in the Works
At the heart of every video conference is an exchange of digital information. The webcams and microphones you use retransform the analog data of your voice and image into digital bits that can be cut up, packaged, and sent over the internet to where your friend’s device can receive and unpack it all.
In every conversation, there’s a sender, a message, and a receiver. And blockchain is great at keeping track of all that information. Paired with end-to-end encryption, which grants unique little passwords to each end of a connection to keep it safe, blockchain promises a new level of video chatting security.
Several companies are already starting to build blockchain-based messaging and video apps to win the business of security-conscious WhatsApp and Snapchat users. PeerStream, Inc. (formerly Snap Interactive), for example, will launch Backchannel toward the end of this year. Backchannel will eventually be able to host one-on-one video calls over mobile. Going even further, under-development app e-Chat will soon perform the same video call trick with up to 10 people.
Those apps and their blockchain peers are a long way from replicating enterprise-scale video conferencing, but they are proof that there’s momentum building toward next-generation security for video.
Other Options for Video Conferencing Security
The current video conferencing security workload is shouldered by internal firewalls, “meeting lock” software–like that deployed by consumer VC vendor BlueJeans–and the type of end-to-end encryption that Skype is introducing across its platform.
In addition to these applications of existing security measures, there are also a couple of other technologies with potential. China recently staged the world’s first intercontinental video conference using quantum physics, a system researchers say is unshakable. And then there is the continued advancement of facial recognition. While not as data-centric as blockchain or encryption, high-end webcams are already being used to help create biological passwords based on unique human features. With an improvement of live AI technology, facial recognition could one day be deployed in-call to keep tabs on who’s on-screen.
All those security measures act within the existing internet system. Blockchain, by comparison, is a whole new network. As such, its adoption is likely to be dependant on the rise of entirely new apps, like those listed above. That, in turn, will likely slow its spread. Facebook Messenger, for instance, can’t suddenly upend its entire operating system to incorporate blockchain, despite how much the company could use a new security promise. Is heightened security enough to sway the hundreds of millions of WhatsApp and Snapchat users away from their established circles of friends and onto to whole new network? It would appear unlikely. The same need for upheaval applies to the business world as well, where legacy video conferencing systems would need to be replaced with entirely new VC vendors.
For all its obvious potential, blockchain is in for a slow build. Like we said at the beginning, everyone knows you can’t trust the internet, but we’re so comfortable in our current ways we’re still willing to take digital risks. It’s likely to take a lot of time–and a lot of security scares–to make blockchain ubiquitous.
Source: videoconferencingdaily
Latest Jobs
-
- Cyber Security Professional Services Lead | London | Immediate
- London
- N/A
-
Cyber Security Professional Services Lead London / Hybrid This role leads the delivery function for a cyber security professional services team, with ownership of utilisation, delivery quality, and team performance across multiple client programmes. You will drive billable utilisation, ensure projects are delivered on time and to standard, and manage resource planning across a complex portfolio. Acting as the escalation point for key engagements, you will also lead and develop a high-performing consulting team, maintaining strong client relationships and consistent delivery standards. Key responsibilities: Drive utilisation and delivery performance Ensure quality, on-time delivery across engagements Manage resource planning and capacity Act as escalation point for key programmes Lead and develop the consulting team Background: Currently leading a cyber or technology professional services function Recent track record improving utilisation and delivery outcomes Experience across multi-client, complex programmes Strong senior stakeholder engagement A hands-on leadership role with accountability for delivery, team performance, and commercial outcomes
-
- Cyber Security Sales | Enterprise | New Business | London
- City of London
- Uncapped OTE
-
Enterprise Account Executive | Cyber Security | UK London / UK (hybrid with client engagement) A scaling cyber security firm is hiring an Enterprise Account Executive to drive growth across large UK organisations. This role blends new business with ownership. You will open doors, create demand, and win enterprise accounts, then retain and grow those relationships into long-term, high-value partnerships. Targeting senior stakeholders at CISO, CIO, and board level, you will shape and close complex deals across cyber security, cloud, and transformation programmes. This is a strategic role. Fewer accounts, higher value, longer cycles. You are expected to build pipeline from scratch, with support around you but without reliance on inbound or marketing. A recent and consistent track record of achieving or exceeding sales targets is essential. This role requires someone currently performing at a high level in enterprise sales. UK-based, with remote working and client engagement as needed. Competitive base and uncapped earnings, with scope to build a meaningful enterprise portfolio.
-
- Cyber Security Sales | Financial Services | New Business | London
- England
- Uncapped OTE
-
New Business Lead | Cyber Security | Financial Services | London / UK UK Remote / London client travel A well-backed cyber security and technology firm is looking to hire a senior New Business Lead to drive UK growth, with a particular focus on Financial Services. This is a position for someone who knows how to open doors where others cannot. A role built around identifying opportunity, challenging incumbents, and converting that into long-term client relationships and revenue. You will own new logo acquisition across FS, working closely with leadership to shape go-to-market strategy and position across cyber security, cloud, and modernisation offerings. Full ownership of the sales lifecycle. Pipeline creation, deal strategy, negotiation, and close. The expectation is simple. Build momentum, win key accounts, and scale a function around you as revenue grows. Strong experience selling into Financial Services environments is key. Credibility at CISO, CIO, and board level matters. Remote-first, with London and client engagement as required. Competitive base, uncapped earnings, and genuine scope to build something meaningful. The successful sales person MUST have a recent history and current experinece of achieving / overachieving against sales target.