How to Get End-to-End Encryption on Zoom

Zoom, the popular video-conferencing platform, recently acquired Keybase, a messaging platform with a tried and tested encryption standard. This acquisition marks a new level of heightened security for the platform, allowing users to continue using such an important tool with an increased privacy sense.

Currently, the Zoom 5.0 update supports encryption using standard AES-GCM with 256-bit keys. Zoom cloud servers generate the encryption keys between Zoom clients. However, to improve their security, Zoom is set to offer end-to-end encrypted meetings for their clients.

Enabling encryption forces encryption for desktop, mobile, and Zoom Rooms clients and end-to-end group messaging. However, it affects video conferencing performance as it requires more processing power from the participants’ devices.

If you want to enable Zoom’s new end-to-end encryption, all you have to do is make a quick trip to your settings.

Enable Encryption for All Devices

1. Go to the Zoom web portal. Make sure you have admin privileges that allow you to edit account settings.
2. Click on Meeting Settings.
3. In the Meeting tab, Select End-to-End Encryption.
4. Click on the Status toggle and enable it.
5. If a verification dialog pops up, click Turn On and verify the changes.

Enable Encryption for Everyone in Your Organization

1. Go to the Zoom web portal. Again, make sure you have admin privileges that allow you to edit account settings.
2. In Account Management, select Account Settings.
3. In the Require Encryption for 3rd party Endpoints tab, click on the Status toggle and enable it.
4. If a verification dialog pops up, click on Turn On and verify the changes.
5. For administrators that want to make end-to-end encryption compulsory for all users, click on the lock icon, and confirm the changes.

Enable Encryption for Participants of a Specific Group

1. Go to the Zoom web portal. Make sure you have admin privileges that allow you to edit account settings.
2. In User Management, select Group Management.
3. Select the name of the group.
4. Click on the settings tab.
5. In the Require Encryption for 3rd party Endpoints tab, click on the Status toggle and enable it.
6. In the event that a verification dialog pops up, click Turn On and verify the changes.
7. For administrators that want to make end-to-end encryption compulsory for all groups, click on the lock icon and confirm the changes.

Enable Encryption for Personal Use

1. Go to the Zoom web portal. For individual account members, there’s no need to have admin privilege.
2. Click on the settings tab — assuming you’re an Individual account member.
3. In the Require Encryption for 3rd party Endpoints tab, click on the Status toggle and enable it.
4. In the event that a verification dialog pops up, click Turn On and verify the changes.

Note: Sometimes, you may find that this option is unavailable or grayed out and can’t make any changes. This means that the administrator has locked out individual members from making changes at the account or group level. In this case, you’ll have to contact the Zoom administrator to enable end-to-end encryption.

When Encryption Will Become Available to Users

End-to-end encryption is a huge boost to data security and privacy in the video conferencing platform. Free or basic users will have to verify their phone numbers for the feature to work. This is to prevent unlawful activity in the video platform. Paid users already have their information authenticated via their sign-up process. The initial plan was to offer the end-to-end encryption only to paid accounts. Still, Zoom reversed its course amid criticism by privacy advocates.

An updated end-to-end encryption design is available on GitHub. Still, the preliminary beta version will be rolled out in July 2020. In the meantime, users will continue using the AES 256 GSM encryption.

The feature will be optional since it limits some functionalities of meetings. This is entirely up to the host or account administrator who will have the power to enable or disable end-to-end encryption. However, the end-to-end encryption feature will not be available to non-Zoom conference room systems, phone bridges, and cloud recording.