Are wireless microphones at events a risk to data security?

Are your presentations secure?

Teaching your people to value information and about how it can potentially harm your organisation is a high priority for organisations in 2018.

Event organisers invest in secure wireless networks, take care around the distribution of content both before and after the event, and clients would be horrified if they found that the confidential presentations that they thought were secure were, in fact, accessible by anyone who happened to be in the vicinity of the venue.

But whilst wireless networks are carefully secured, many event managers overlook the security implications when it comes to the use of analogue wireless microphones.

Did you know that anyone in the vicinity could be listening into every word of the conference or meeting you thought was private just through the use of wireless microphones? Whilst its likely to be important only for the most sensitive of meetings, event managers and clients should be aware that the use of the wrong wireless microphones could lead to a leak of confidential, sensitive, or strategically important information.

It is surprisingly easy for someone to sit outside the conference venue and listen in on the presentations using a device that costs less than £100 which anyone with some basic technical knowledge could use.

The Solution – Encrypted Wireless Microphones

Digital wireless microphones are inherently more difficult for a listener to intercept because conventional “scanning receivers” are generally only capable of listening in to conventional analogue systems. However, some digital wireless microphone systems like Sennheiser D6000, Sennheiser Speechline and Shure Axient Digital systems specifically offer encryption to reduce the risk of eavesdropping.

Who uses encrypted wireless microphones?

Many event organisers will not be concerned about the risk of eavesdropping. If the content isn’t sensitive then it’s unlikely that there is anything to worry about. But for confidential meetings, events where trade secrets are being discussed, or where there is the potential for unwanted press or security leaks, event managers should be using encrypted wireless microphones by default.

Where can I hire encrypted radio mics?

There are a number of different encrypted wireless microphones and most professional audio visual rental companies will hold them in their hire stock. They are typically a little more expensive than standard microphones to hire. However, the added security and peace of mind is often considered worth it.

Here at Adlib we hold Sennheiser D6000, Sennheiser Speechline, and Shure Axient Digital ranges of encrypted digital wireless microphones in stock and we have an in-house wireless microphone system specialist who can answer any questions you have.

We can supply encrypted wireless microphones on a dry hire basis to other rental companies and production companies. Or, if you need a complete audio visual system supplying for your event, we can include them as part of your package.