Zoom update: New feature blocks dangerous video conferencing flaw
With the pandemic, came Zoom. Okay, technically Zoom has been around for over a decade, but its popularity has soared as people from around the globe look for a way to keep in touch with family, friends and co-workers while they stay home.
Unfortunately, the demand for Zoom has created many issues for the company and its users. Malware, comprised accounts, zero-day exploits, phishing scams, and lack of end-to-end encryption all make the list. Then there’s Zoombombing. Tap or click for our coverage on the four Zoom security settings you need to update to protect your meetings.
Thankfully, the company has been making changes on the fly to make the platform more secure. Now, there is an update that fixes a huge flaw.
How the latest Zoom update can protect you
You may be asking what is Zoombombing? Technically it’s a form of cyberattack where a troll joins your Zoom meeting. Hackers have been known to hurl profanity, threats, and racial slurs at participants and display offensive imagery.
To better secure your chats and prevent this activity, Zoom’s latest update (for all accounts) will allow account owners and admins to disable the personal meeting identifier (PMI), which is used to schedule and start meetings. It’s included in a Zoom call’s URL and can be used by anyone to join a meeting if that meeting is not fully secured.
In addition to disabling PMIs, the update will require passwords for all meetings, and by default enable the waiting room and make screen-sharing privileges Host-Only.
You may also like: 11 Zoom tricks you’ll wish you knew sooner
Here’s how you can keep trolls from taking over
All you need to do is update Zoom with its 5.0 update. Click here to download the Zoom 5.0 update. Then, select the appropriate option for your account.
Click on download and open the ZoomInstaller.exe file at the bottom of your window. From the pop-up menu, either select to join a meeting or sign in. The new security features will be in place when you start or join your next meeting.
Note: After May 30, all accounts will receive a forced upgrade.
You have additional options to enhance the security of your chats and accounts. Tap or click to learn how to protect your Zoom account from being sold on the Dark Web.
Go into your Zoom account and tap Settings under Personal. From here you can enable or disable settings like:
- Enable Personal Meeting ID
- Use Personal Meeting ID (PMI) when scheduling a meeting
- Only authenticated users can join meetings
- Require a password for instant meetings
- Embed password in invite link for one-click join
You can also tap on Security under Admin Advanced to enable settings for authentication to ensure your meeting participants meet certain password requirements and other security and sign-in settings such as:
- Users need to sign in again after a period of inactivity
- Sign in with Two-Factor Authentication
- Allow importing of photos from the photo library on the user’s phone
- Allow users to sign in with Google
- Allow users to sign in with Facebook
Zoom’s latest update and a few adjustments in your settings will hopefully eliminate Zoombombing and keep your chats safe. This is great news now that we all need safe ways to connect with others.
Tags: cyberattacks, cybercriminals, end-to-end encryption, malware, phishing scams, security, upgrade, video conferencing, Zoom, ZoomBombing
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