Microsoft Teams | Settings – Advanced Encryption

First of all, for peace of mind: Microsoft Teams always encrypts all data (TLS and SRTP), whether in transit or at rest. So your data is safe by default. But for certain scenarios – think of the conversation between the CEO and the CFO about a planned takeover or research results in the pharmaceutical industry – “certainly” is not enough. Here, “end-to-end” (E2EE) is required.

In the admin center under “Advanced encryption settings” you will find exactly two switches that make your IT a fortress. But be careful: security has its price here in the form of features.

1. End-to-end call encryption (1:1)

This switch refers to the classic Teams one-on-one calls (VoIP).

• What’s happening? When enabled, audio and video are encrypted so that only the sender and receiver have the key. Even Microsoft cannot listen in or decrypt the stream (even by court order).
• The catch: For this to work, both participants must actively turn on the setting in their Teams client. It’s not enough for you to allow it as an admin – the users have to want it too.
• Important: Normal chat messages are not affected, they are already protected by the standard Teams data encryption.

2. End-to-End Meeting Encryption (Premium!)

Here we see the first big difference to the basic license. In the screenshot of the admin center, the “Premium” badge is emblazoned.

• The function: You can encrypt entire online meetings end-to-end. This is the gold standard for confidential board meetings.
• The prerequisite: To use this switch, you need Teams Premium licenses. Without this license, the high-security conference room will remain locked.

The Price of Security: What Is Eliminated

Why don’t we just turn it on for everyone? Because E2EE means that the Microsoft server can no longer read the content. And if the server doesn’t see anything, it can’t offer intelligent services.

As soon as E2EE is active, the following comfort features are no longer available:

• ❌ Recording: You can’t record the meeting.
• ❌ Transcription & Subtitles: No automatic transcription.
• ❌ Summaries: No co-pilot summing up the meeting.

Conclusion: Only for the executive floor?

“Advanced encryption” is not a feature for the masses. For 99% of your users, standard security is completely sufficient and the loss of recording/transcription would be painful. Use this guideline specifically for executives, lawyers or R&D departments who need absolute confidentiality and are happy to do without AI features.

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