Zoom is a very popular option for holding virtual meetings. I use zoom for podcasting every week and have been for almost three years. I’ve never had a problem, but now that more and more people are using this technology for virtual meetings, hackers have found a way into zoom meeting rooms and causing havoc. Recently there have been reports of security issues which Zoom has quickly addressed. No more hackers in your Zoom Rooms if you follow the advice to keep your zoom meetings secure.
The big news is effective May 30th will enable GCM encryption. This will add another layer of security when using Zoom. There has been a lot of criticism about the lack of encryption on Zoom and many large companies and educational institutions are using other platforms such as Microsoft, Facebook, and GoToMeetings for better encryption. However, with these new changes, Zoom meetings will still be one of the most popular video conferencing platforms in use going forward..
Eric Yuan, CEO of Zoom, told CNN Business News
He now devotes his entire day only to security and privacy matters.
Here are the tips directly from Zoom.
Keeping Your Zoom Meetings Secure from Being Hacked
Update on Zoom Security – May 8, 2020
Meeting Passwords Required – May 9
Starting May 9, 2020, all meetings for Free or Basic accounts, including previously scheduled meetings, new meetings, and meetings started or scheduled using Personal Meeting IDs will require a password. If your participants join by clicking a meeting link with a password embedded, there will be no change to their joining experience. For participants who join by manually entering a Meeting ID, they will need to enter a password to access the meeting, including participants who join via telephone.For previously scheduled meetings, you can locate your meeting password by logging in to your Zoom account. Go to your Meetings tab, select the upcoming meeting by name, and copy the new meeting invitation to share with your participants. For more information, please visit our Knowledge Center or Blog.
For instant meetings, the password will be displayed in the Zoom client and the password is also embedded in the meeting join URL by default.
Zoom 5.0 is Here!
On May 30th, 2020, Zoom will enable GCM encryption across the entire Zoom platform, providing increased protection for meeting data.
After May 30, 2020, all Zoom clients on older versions will receive a forced upgrade when trying to join Zoom meetings as GCM encryption will be fully enabled across the Zoom platform; you cannot join Zoom meetings after May 30 without an updated client. Please begin updating all your clients to Zoom 5.0 now.
Effective April 5th, 2020 here is what Zoom is doing to keep Zoom meetings secure
We’re always striving to deliver you a secure virtual meeting environment. Starting April 5th, we’ve chosen to enable passwords on your meetings and turn on Waiting Rooms by default as additional security enhancements to protect your privacy.Meeting Passwords Enabled “On”
Going forward, your previously scheduled meetings (including those scheduled via your Personal Meeting ID) will have passwords enabled. If your attendees are joining via a meeting link, there will be no change to their joining experience. For attendees who join meetings by manually entering a Meeting ID, they will need to enter a password to access the meeting.For attendees joining manually, we highly recommend re-sharing the updated meeting invitation before your workweek begins. Here’s how you can do that:Log in to your account, visit your Meetings tab, select your upcoming meeting by name, and copy the new meeting invitation to share with your attendees. For step-by-step instructions, please watch this 2-minute video or read this FAQ.For meetings scheduled moving forward, the meeting password can be found in the invitation. For instant meetings, the password will be displayed in the Zoom client. The password can also be found in the meeting join URL.Virtual Waiting Room Turned on by Default
Going forward, the virtual waiting room feature will be automatically turned on by default. The Waiting Room is just like it sounds: It’s a virtual staging area that prevents people from joining a meeting until the host is ready.How do I admit participants into my meeting?
It’s simple. As the host, once you’ve joined, you’ll begin to see the number of participants in your waiting room within the Manage Participants icon. Select Manage Participants to view the full list of participants, then, you’ll have the option to admit individually by selecting the blue Admit button or all at once with the Admit All option on the top right-hand side of your screen. For step-by-step instructions, please watch this 2-minute video.Check out these resources to learn How to Manage Your Waiting Room and Secure Your Meetings with Virtual Waiting Rooms.For more information on how to leverage passwords and Waiting Rooms to secure your meetings, please visit our Knowledge Center, attend a daily live demo, or visit our Blog.
Thank you Zoom for updating the software thus keeping zoom meetings from being hacked and eliminating security issues.
New – Virtual Backgrounds for Zoom (without a green screen)
Do you have a messy location you don’t want to appear in the background of your calls? Now you can enable virtual backgrounds for your calls both on your computer and your smart phone. Instead of that boring bookcase in the background, you can upload any of those lovely vacation shots with the mountains or ocean! Check it out.
To get to the virtual backgrounds, first go to the video picture at the bottom left hand side of your screen. Tap on the arrow beside the video picture. From the next screen click on virtual background
Choose the generic one from Zoom or upload your favourite picture from your hard drive. It’s as simple as that!
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