Top 3 Secure Zoom Alternatives for Video Conferencing | Why Vidyo by Enghouse Video Leads

October 23, 2024
  by Blog Team

Are we trading security for convenience?

With remote work here to stay and video conferencing tools becoming a norm for virtual collaboration, cybercriminals are having a field day. Last year alone, U.S. federal agencies reported over 32,000 cybersecurity incidents—a 5% increase from last year. And guess what’s on their hit list? Video conferencing platforms.

Zoom, one of the most popular choices for video conferencing, has faced its share of security issues. Remember the $85 million settlement for privacy violations? Or the notorious “Zoombombing” where uninvited guests crashed meetings? These incidents have left federal, state, and local agencies searching for secure alternatives to Zoom.

So, here we are to assist you in selecting the right alternative by bringing you our top five choices based on security features, interactivity, pricing, and customer reviews. Let’s dive in.

Our Top Picks: 3 Secure Zoom Alternatives for Video Conferencing

After digging deep, we’ve found the three video conferencing tools that truly shine when it comes to security—perfect for handling sensitive government communications. These platforms made the cut because they excel in encryption, follow strict industry regulations, and are built to meet the unique demands of government use.

Our top picks for secure video conferencing software include:

  • Vidyo by Enghouse Video – Known for its high-grade encryption and compliance with stringent government security requirements.
  • Google Meet For Government by Google – Features built-in security, with encryption by default and compliance with GDPR and other privacy laws.
  • Webex for Government by Cisco – Provides FedRAMP-authorized collaboration tools for secure communication in government operations.

Here’s a closer look at each tool and what makes them ideal for secure government video communications as secure alternatives to zoom.

  • Vidyo by Enghouse Video

With two decades of experience, Vidyo is a trusted platform for government agencies needing secure, high-performance video communication. Built for critical use cases, it offers robust security and reliable performance.

Here’s how Vidyo supports high-stakes communications in various scenarios:

  • ADA Compliance: Connects public organizations with ASL interpreters through secure video conferencing, ensuring seamless ADA compliance.
  • Courts & Corrections: Supports secure online court proceedings, helping systems manage caseloads and budgets more efficiently.
  • Emergency Preparedness: Enables inter-agency collaboration via video meetings, improving planning and cutting travel costs for emergency response.
  • Emergency Response: Facilitates real-time, secure communication during crises, ensuring quick action and effective mobilization.
  • First Responder Training: Delivers interactive video training for first responders, enabling leadership development without disrupting daily operations.

Source – Government Video Conferencing Solution – Vidyo

Most Celebrated Features 

  • End-to-end encryption: Vidyo uses industry-standard encryption like TLS, SRTP, and AES to ensure all communications are fully protected, making it ideal for handling sensitive government data.
  • FIPS 140-2 Certified Libraries: Vidyo uses these libraries to handle sensitive information, ensuring data confidentiality, integrity, and security.
  • U.S Government Certified: Vidyo is approved by the Department of Defense (DoD) and adheres to GDPR, JITC, and SOC 2 standards, ensuring compliance with the highest security and privacy regulations required for government use.
  • Integration with 3rd Party Authentication and SSO: Vidyo integrates seamlessly with third-party authentication systems and Single Sign-On (SSO), improving security and simplifying user access management.
  • High-quality Conferencing: Vidyo delivers high-quality 4K/5K HD video streaming, maintaining high performance even in challenging network environments and ensuring uninterrupted communication.
  • Closed Captioning: Vidyo offers live closed captioning with customizable background colors and font sizes, ensuring that users who rely on text can fully participate in conferences.
  • Audio Device Switching: Vidyo allows users to easily switch between audio devices, such as Bluetooth headsets, enhancing meeting convenience and flexibility.
  • Group and One-on-One Chat: Vidyo includes both group and private chat functionalities, facilitating clear and effective communication between participants throughout a conference.

Pricing

Vidyo offers a quote-based pricing model, so to get detailed pricing information, you’ll need to contact their sales team directly.

Platforms Supported 

  • Windows
  • macOS
  • iOS
  • Android
  • Web Browsers

Why do Government Agencies Love Vidyo by Enghouse Video?

Government agencies choose Vidyo for its advanced security features, including secure HTTPS login, PKI encryption, password hashing, and encrypted token technology, ensuring data protection at every level. Let’s explore some reasons why government agencies prefer Vidyo:

Scalable and Highly Secure Platform

VidyoPlatform delivers seamless interoperability across devices and networks, supporting large-scale operations while ensuring data protection. With advanced encryption options, it meets the highest security standards required by government environments.

For example, DISA’s Global Video Service (GVS), built on the Vidyo platform, supports secure collaboration across government agencies. It enables real-time communication for both classified and unclassified information, ensuring confidentiality. 

Having reached Full Operational Capability (FOC), GVS now handles nearly half a billion conferencing minutes per year, meeting the Department of Defense’s demanding security and integration needs.

Highly Reliable and Consistent Performance

Vidyo ensures high-quality video, even in challenging conditions like unstable Wi-Fi, low-bandwidth connections, and high-latency environments. This level of reliability is crucial for organizations like the Air Force Association (AFA), which adopted Vidyo to meet its communication needs.

Due to its geographically dispersed teams, the AFA faced rising travel costs and logistical challenges. Volunteers were using different devices and systems, requiring a solution that worked seamlessly across various platforms. Additionally, with users connecting from different network environments, a solution that maintained consistent video quality even over low-bandwidth connections was needed.

By implementing Vidyo, the AFA ensured dependable communication and saved $50,000 to $70,000 per meeting, significantly cutting travel costs and boosting productivity.

Tailored Implementation 

The professional services team at Enghouse Video works closely with a wide range of customers—from small businesses to large enterprises—delivering customized video conferencing solutions that adapt to each client’s needs.

The Enghouse Video team offers a tailored approach for defense organizations to ensure compliance with government security standards while addressing unique scalability and data protection requirements. This specialized focus makes Enghouse Video a trusted partner in critical, high-security communication environments.

  • Google Meet For Government

Google Meet is a secure, reliable video conferencing tool designed for smooth communication and collaboration. Seamlessly integrated with Google Workspace, it’s ideal for both personal and professional use, offering a simple yet powerful platform for virtual meetings.

 Source – Google Meet

Most Celebrated Features

  • Comprehensive Security: Ensure data protection by complying with key industry regulations such as FedRAMP, HIPAA, and GDPR, built on Google Cloud’s security framework.
  • Dial-in Flexibility: Allow participants from up to 47 countries to join via phone, ensuring seamless access even in low-bandwidth situations.
  • Retention Policies: Set retention policies for meeting recordings through Google Vault to meet organizational requirements.
  • Instant Access: Join meetings instantly through a simple calendar or email link—no plug-ins required.
  • Share Effortlessly: Share windows or full screens with a single tap and follow along with live captions.
  • Connect Anywhere: Join from a conference room, laptop, or mobile device, with support for up to 250 participants or 100,000 in-domain live stream viewers.
  • Record and Share: Record meetings and securely store them in Google Drive for future access.
  • Google Workspace Integration: Seamlessly integrates with Google Calendar and Gmail, making scheduling and joining meetings quick and convenient.

Pricing

Google Meet is included with Google Workspace plans, which start at $6/month/user. A free version is also available with limited features.

Platforms Supported

  • Windows
  • Chrome OS
  • Ubuntu and other Debian-based Linux distributions
  • macOS
  • iOS (15 and up)
  • Android (5.0 and up)
  • Web Browsers

Why Do Government Agencies Love Google Meet for Government?

Government agencies use Google Meet for secure, real-time collaboration. It played a key role for the U.S. Navy, enabling video translation to bridge language gaps between Japanese and U.S. personnel and supporting emergency simulations to keep teams connected and ready.

  • Webex For Government

Webex for Government provides a FedRAMP-authorized platform that enables secure communication for public sector organizations. With support for calling, messaging, meetings, and file sharing, the platform ensures that teams can collaborate effectively, whether in the office or working remotely.

Source – Webex for Government

Most Celebrated Features

  • Extensive security: Secures all communications with advanced security protocols that protect meetings, user identities, files, and devices, ensuring compliance with government standards.
  • Always on: Ensures mission-critical services remain operational with a resilient and secure architecture designed for continuous availability.
  • Powerful features: Offers scalable cloud-based calling, HD video meetings, and messaging, providing seamless communication for any environment.
  • Intelligent features: Enhances meetings with AI-powered tools like noise cancellation, closed captioning, and transcriptions, improving clarity and accessibility.
  • Simplified management: Makes managing meetings easy with Control Hub’s intuitive tools, allowing real-time troubleshooting, monitoring, and diagnostics.

Pricing

Webex Meetings offers a free plan with basic features for up to 100 participants. The Starter plan is $14.50/month per host for 100 participants and includes cloud storage, while the Business plan, at $25/month per host, supports 200 participants and additional features. Enterprise pricing is available for larger, customized needs.

Platforms Supported

  • Windows: Versions include Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2008 R2 and later.
  • Chrome OS: Supported via the Webex Meetings Web App and the Webex Meetings Android App.
  • Linux: Supported on Ubuntu 14.x or later, OpenSuSE 13.x or later, Fedora 18 or later, Red Hat 6 or later, and Debian 8.x or later.
  • macOS: macOS versions 10.15 (Catalina) and later, including Big Sur and Monterey.
  • iOS: Supported on iPhone and iPad, running iOS 15 and up.
  • Android: Supported on Android devices with version 5.0 (Lollipop) and up.
  • Web Browsers: Supports browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge for both Windows and macOS.

Why Do Government Agencies Love Webex for Government?

Government agencies, like the City of Houston’s Emergency Services, value Webex for its ability to quickly restore emergency resources to operational status through efficient video communication. This ensures they are ready for any emergency, enabling teams to act swiftly and effectively.

 

While all three platforms offer strong security, Vidyo by Enghouse Video stands out for its proven reliability and scalability, tailored to government operations. Let’s explore why Vidyo is the best alternative to Zoom for government use.

Why Vidyo by Enghouse Video Stands Out as a Secure Zoom Alternative

Vidyo by Enghouse Video is a trusted Zoom alternative that is relied on by over 15 government agencies, including the Department of Defense and NASA. Its robust security includes JITC and GDPR compliance, secure HTTPS login, PKI encryption, password hashing, and encrypted token technology, ensuring end-to-end data protection.

Beyond security, Vidyo delivers high-quality video, even under challenging conditions like unstable Wi-Fi, low bandwidth, or high latency. This makes it a reliable solution for critical government communication. Its scalable technology integrates seamlessly with existing systems, offering flexible deployment options from on-premise setups to multi-tenant cloud environments.

Vidyo’s adaptability allows agencies to upgrade their video communication without overhauling existing infrastructure. This unique combination of security, reliability, and flexibility makes it a top choice for government organizations seeking a secure and efficient Zoom alternative.

Ready to secure and enhance your agency’s video communications? Contact us today to learn how Vidyo by Enghouse Video can help.

FAQs

1. What are the Risks of Using Generic Video Conferencing Tools for Sensitive Government Communications?

Using generic video conferencing tools for sensitive government communications presents several risks:

  • Unsecured connections increase the chances of security vulnerabilities and eavesdropping.
  • Impersonation and data leaks are potential threats.
  • Technical issues can interrupt critical communication.
  • Non-compliance with regulatory standards may result in legal consequences.

2. What are the Things to Consider When Choosing Secure Video Conferencing Software?

National Security Agency NSA shared a list of things to consider when choosing secure video conferencing software: 

  • End-to-end encryption
  • Use of strong, tested encryption standards
  • Multi-factor authentication (MFA) to validate user identities
  • Control over who joins and accesses meetings
  • Privacy policies that limit third-party data sharing
  • Ability to securely delete data
  • Certifications from trusted security and regulatory bodies
  • Development and hosting in secure jurisdictions

3. How do Secure Video Conferencing Platforms Comply with Government Regulations?

Secure video conferencing platforms comply by achieving certifications like Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) and following the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These ensure strong data protection and consent protocols. Features like meeting locks enhance security by restricting access to authorized participants, making these platforms essential for maintaining compliance and safeguarding sensitive government communications.

4. What is the Best Secure Alternative to Zoom? 

Vidyo by Enghouse Video is a secure Zoom alternative trusted by government agencies like NASA and the Department of Defense. With JITC and GDPR compliance and robust security features, it ensures confidential communication. Its flexible deployment options, from on-premise to cloud, make it suitable for diverse infrastructures, providing a secure solution for sensitive government use.

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