500K Zoom accounts for sale on the Dark Web – protect yourself now

By Kim Komando

April 16, 2020

© Cateyeperspective | Dreamstime.com

As schools and companies closed up physical locations, millions of workers and students have come to rely on video conferencing programs like Zoom to keep up with our normal workflow.

Unfortunately, the widespread jump to these programs hasn’t been very smooth. Several of the most popular video conferencing programs are riddled with security problems — with Zoom, in particular, showing several glaring issues with trolls and data-sharing. Tap or click here to see the Zoom settings you need to change.

Those issues are only the tip of the iceberg. Recently, more than 500,000 Zoom accounts credentials were discovered in Dark Web marketplaces for fire-sale prices. If you rely on Zoom for your business, here’s why you need to consider another option and what you can do to protect yourself.

Hackers are just as busy as you are

Researchers at the cybersecurity firm Cyble found more than 500,000 Zoom accounts for sale in Dark web marketplaces and hacker forums for pennies on the dollar, first reported by BleepingComputer. These accounts are sold for as little as one cent, and in some cases are even shared with “customers” at no charge.

The goal, Cyble’s researchers say, is to use these accounts for ZoomBombing pranks and other malicious activities. An existing Zoom account with access to meetings with others can help hackers and trolls bypass waiting rooms and other security measures to wreak havoc on unsuspecting conferences.

Talk about a security nightmare — trolls and hackers posing as you in an important meeting.

These accounts were apparently compiled with some good old-fashioned hard work: Hackers brute-forced logins based on existing data breaches. That means they used previously leaked email addresses and passwords for other services to find a match on Zoom.

Needless to say, the sheer volume of accounts up for sale shows just how successful they were.

Each of these accounts likely shared an email address and password with another login for a different platform altogether. That’s the exact reason why using different passwords for each service is so critical for security.

Struggling to come up with more secure passwords? Tap or click here for tips to create stronger passwords for your logins.

I use Zoom for work or school! What can I do to stay safe?

Hackers are a crafty bunch, and this particular breach is a perfect example of why you should create as many unique passwords as you have accounts. On top of that, you should consider storing your passwords in an encrypted cloud password manager.

We recommend Roboform, your passwords are encrypted and scrambled for your protection, and the accounts are saved away from your main system on the cloud, which protects them from being accessed if your computer gets hacked.

Save 50% on RoboForm Everywhere and manage your passwords with ease and security when you use discount code KIM50 at checkout!

If you use Zoom, you need to change your password as soon as possible. Follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. Click to Profile.
3. Scroll down to Sign In Password, Click Edit on the right.
4. Enter your Old Password.
5. Enter your New Password twice to confirm.
   Note: Make sure your password meets the requirements.
6. Click Save Changes.

Whatever you do, do not use the same password you use anywhere else. As arguably the most popular work-from-home tool on the web, Zoom is now the biggest target for hackers and cybercriminals looking to do harm.

And don’t think they’ll stop at Zoom, either. If they know they can crack your password based on previous data breaches, you can bet cybercriminals will try to do the same with other services and social media platforms.

Is Zoom safe to use anymore?

If you’re a video conferencing regular, it might be high time to consider an alternative like Google Meet or GoToMeeting.

Hear Kim’s take in just a couple minutes. Click play to hear her Consumer Tech Update.

Not only are these services much more secure than Zoom, many have additional settings you can put into place to keep uninvited guests out of your meetings. Tap or click to see the best video conferencing services and the settings you need to change.

As the saying goes, it’s not wise to put all your eggs in one basket. Rather than let Zoom break all of your accounts, you can take direct action through good password habits. Your boss and coworkers will thank you.

Tags: breaches, cybercriminals, cybersecurity, hackers, passwords, security, video conferencing, Zoom, ZoomBombing