Meeting spaces: a place where plans are created, innovations are launched, and increasingly, where endpoints are left accessible.
Although your meeting room may function well with an integrated sound system and conferencing camera, if these devices are compromised, then a situation can arise that extends far beyond its four walls.
This is because the convergence of AV technology with IT has created a bridge that can be used to gain access to your wider company, with far-reaching effects.
Susy Liem, AVP Product Management, Conferencing at Shure, explains, “Insecure AV devices can expose organizations to unauthorized access, data breaches, and compromised communications.”
Therefore, in the hybrid world of online meetings, securing your AV is no longer just ideal, but essential.
Why Meeting Room Tech Is a Gateway
Unlike laptops or mobile devices, AV devices are often seen as a weak link and thus are not run on the main network.
Yet as AV devices become more complex, from IP cameras to wireless displays, IT increasingly wants to manage them. To do this, they will need to put them onto their network, yet this is where the security risks arise.
When AV devices operate on the network without proper security management, they create opportunities for new risks. As Liem warns, “If not properly secured, AV devices can serve as entry points for cyberattacks,” turning everyday collaboration tools into corporate liabilities.
Once inside the wider network, issues such as data theft and disruption can occur. This means more than just operational downtime, however.
Christopher Meyer, Product Security and Conferencing Platform at Shure, breaks down the broader implications of the cost of an attack to business: “Organizations may incur substantial costs related to incident response, legal liabilities, and lost productivity.”
Recognizing this, security-conscious AV vendors like Shure have responded to these challenges by developing solutions that enable IT to align AV devices with their security best practices.
These solutions focus on improving their manageability and observability, giving meeting room technologies the same protection as other critical endpoints are afforded.
ShureCloud: Bridging the AV-IT Divide
IT teams face challenges in continuously monitoring device health, swiftly detecting issues, and ensuring AV security aligns with broader IT policies.
To bridge this gap, Shure developed ShureCloud, a cloud-based platform designed to unify AV management within familiar IT workflows. This allows IT to bring AV devices onto the network whilst keeping them secure.
Meyer further emphasizes how crucial it is for AV management to integrate with existing IT infrastructures: “Compatibility with existing security frameworks and seamless integration into broader IT infrastructure helps maintain a unified, secure environment as a whole.” This approach preserves both operational continuity and protection.
ShureCloud offers IT clear, real-time visibility into every connected device’s status and performance, making it easier to proactively identify and address potential issues before they escalate.
Instant alerts keep IT teams immediately informed of device issues, enabling rapid response to minimize downtime, while customer event logs can support forensic investigations.
Equally, it allows IT teams to centrally push firmware updates and apply patches remotely, ensuring all devices stay current without delays. Software licenses are also managed from a single dashboard, simplifying compliance and activation processes.
Beyond keeping enterprises’ AV security in check, ShureCloud takes steps to ensure its own security. It employs recognized best practice to safeguard communications occurring through it.
It also limits access to authorized users only, using enterprise standard identity management and access control protocols.
This can all be implemented on desktop and mobile, allowing IT staff at any organization size to effectively manage AV environments from anywhere.
By integrating AV endpoints directly into enterprise networks, ShureCloud enables modern organizations to deploy, monitor, and manage their meeting spaces, delivering both enhanced visibility and operational efficiency.
Keeping Your Meeting Productive and Safe
UC has transformed meeting rooms into hubs of innovation, but this progress brings with it new security challenges that need to be considered.
As organizations continue to invest in advanced meeting technologies to support hybrid and remote workforces, securing AV endpoints with the same rigor as traditional IT infrastructure is essential.
By recognizing AV devices as vital network endpoints, and integrating their management into comprehensive security frameworks, companies can save time and costs associated with issues that might otherwise arise.
This proactive approach not only protects today’s meetings, but also future-proofs collaborative spaces, enabling businesses to innovate confidently.
Discover how ShureCloud brings simplicity, visibility, and peace of mind to your AV and UC infrastructure.
