Let’s talk about Zoom AGAIN. I have some concerns about Zoom on your behalf. Since quarantine started, I talk to people every day about Zoom issues such as how to get Zoom to work; or how to teach yoga via Zoom; or how to manage Zoom business licenses; or how to host a Zoom happy hour; how to attend a class, etc.
To the Zoom hosts out there, I really hope you have those Zoom meetings locked down. There’s a lot of haters out there for every type of thing possible on the planet today. Watch my video tutorials here and read below. (although Zoom has made updates to the platform this week)
Cyber vocabulary for the day:
Zoom-Bombing. That’s when haters and hackers get into your meeting and do nasty things like send malware or adware through the chat to your clients or spew hateful things at your attendees or share porn videos through a screenshare.
Don’t let this happen. There are things you can do to stop it. Please watch the previous videos I made over the last week on how to lock Zoom down. Check out CyberMarm on Youtube or go to the Facebook page.
Today is April 9th. Zoom has made several significant changes to the app to help you more easily lock down and protect your meeting. You don’t want anybody joining your meeting that shouldn’t be.
Reminder though: Zoom is addressing the app’s security, but you have to do your part to protect meetings.
Advice for Meeting Hosts and CoHosts:
You’re going to have to consider whether you trust those people asking to join. Make sure they have registered. Check the list. You can always ask a question before the meeting starts. Be on alert. After most people are in the meeting and the meeting has started, Lock the meeting. You can find this option by clicking on the new Security icon next to Manage Participants.
Privacy?
Zoom is making a bunch of changes. So I feel that Zoom might be stepping up. They say that they’re really focused on security right now instead of developing new features and new streams of income because they’re going to lose people all over the globe, now that they are under scrutiny. Everybody knows how they’ve been sharing user information, not just the host’s information, but the attendees information.That sucks. Zoom said they’ve stopped doing that. We’ll see. When you use a free platform, you and your data are the payment. That’s the case when you use Facebook, you’re giving up your privacy. When you use Zoom for free you’re giving up your privacy. Now, it sucks that when you pay for Zoom, you’re also giving up your privacy because they were selling information without even letting anyone know. That’s pretty bad.
Why Did I Choose Zoom?
It’s easy to use. It’s a beautiful platform. I am looking into other platforms, but for the moment, if you choose to continue using it, just lock down your meetings, require a password.
Advice for Zoom Users and Attendees
If you’re participating in a meeting, make sure that the host is requiring a password. Update your computer and the app. If you don’t know how, get help. Zoom and Windows can only do their part. You need to do your part with good cyber hygiene, like updating. I’ll post some tutorials on the CyberMarm Facebook page, or you can message me there with questions. For Windows 10 users, here’s how to patch the vulnerability that Zoom can introduce.
Admins: Please make sure you’ve updated your computer operating system and the Zoom app. Then you’ll see some new waiting room features. Please make sure that you know how to admit people to the waiting room. They first turned it on by default yesterday.
Admin Checklist:
- Change how you promote the meeting.
- Do not post the Zoom meeting details publicly.
- Do require a password.
- Do turn on waiting room.
- If you have a business, make sure that every employee who is using Zoom understands these changes.
- Consider having people register with full name, the email address they will be using to join Zoom and their phone number if they are going to call in.
- For more detail on how to do this and other settings, see my video tutorial.
How is Zoom doing with security updates?
Zoom is saying that they have turned on waiting rooms by default and passwords by default. But guess what? There’s different password settings for whether it’s an instant meeting or whether it’s a scheduled meeting. And so they’ve turned it on for scheduled meetings, but not necessarily for instant meetings, depending on whether you’re using your personal meeting idea or not. You have to check your settings, make sure that password is required, and then deliver the password to whoever you’re having the meeting with somehow safely. I suggest text or phone if you can.
Get used to it. Practice good cyber hygiene, and be well.
Cyber Marm 