Microsoft Teams introduces a new feature enabling organizers to verify anonymous participants before they can join a meeting or webinar. When an anonymous user attempts to join, they will be required to pass a CAPTCHA check to confirm that they are human.
Online meetings and webinars have become essential tools for collaboration and communication in the modern enterprise. However, anonymous participation can sometimes pose security and confidentiality risks. By integrating a CAPTCHA, Microsoft Teams adds an extra layer of protection, ensuring that only legitimate participants can access meetings.
How does it work?
When an anonymous participant attempts to join a Microsoft Teams meeting or webinar, they will be prompted to complete a CAPTCHA test. This simple but effective test verifies that the participant is a human and not an automated bot. Once the CAPTCHA has been successfully completed, the participant can access the meeting.
Implementation and Availability
The CAPTCHA anonymous participant verification feature is available to all Microsoft Teams users. Administrators can activate this option via the meeting settings in the Teams administration center. Once activated, this feature automatically applies to all meetings and webinars organized.
Installation
To configure anonymous participant verification via the Teams administration portal and PowerShell, follow these steps:
Via the Teams Administration Portal :
- Open the Teams administration center.
- Expand “Meetings” in the navigation pane.
- Under “Meetings”, select “Meeting policies”.
- Select an existing policy or create a new one.
- Go to the “Join meeting and waiting room” section and select the following option for “Require verification”:
- Not required (default)
- Anonymous users and people from non-approved organizations
- Select “Save”.
Via PowerShell :
- Open PowerShell and log in to your Microsoft Teams account
- To enable verification of anonymous participants, execute the following commands:
Connect-MicrosoftTeams
Set-CsTeamsMeetingPolicy -Identity <policy name> -CaptchaVerificationForMeetingJoin AnonymousUsersAndUntrustedOrganizations
Source
- Microsoft | Learn | Require verification to join Teams meetings and webinars in your organization
- Microsoft | Microsoft 365 Messaging Center | MC875061
Conclusion
With this new feature, Microsoft Teams continues to demonstrate its commitment to security and usability. By integrating simple yet effective verification measures, Microsoft Teams ensures that your meetings remain secure and free from disruption, allowing your users to focus on what really matters.
