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What is Zoomboming and How to Prevent It

What is Zoomboming and How to Prevent It

By Judy Sanhz Leave a Comment

Zoombombing is a word that we’ve all had to learn recently. Ever since the pandemic started, Zoom has seen an insane increase in users. All that popularity wasn’t going to go unnoticed.

You can tell what the word ” Zoombombing” means by separating it into two words, but is there anything you can do to protect your meetings? Not all hope is lost since there are some security settings you can change to prevent any unwanted visitors from getting into your Zoom meetings.

What is Zoombombing?

Zoombombing is when someone you didn’t invite joins your meeting. But, they don’t just sit there and listen. These unwanted visitors will do something that will interrupt your meeting, and it’s usually something like show adult content, swear, or anything they think will get them a laugh.

Just because there are people that don’t know what the word respect means, it doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything to protect your Zoom meetings from these kinds of users. By making a few changes to your security settings, it’s going to be a lot harder for these intruders to get it.

How to Protect Zoom Meetings from Zoombombing

When you create your Zoom account, you’re given a Personal Meeting ID or personal link. With this personal ID (a combination of 10 digits), anyone that memorizes it or makes a copy will always have access to your personal virtual room.

Unless the people that will be joining the meeting are people you know you can trust to not give this info out, you shouldn’t use it.

After tapping on the Create Meeting option, you’ll see the option to use your Personal Meeting ID. Make sure that this option is toggled off. If you ever need to change your personal ID, check out the section below. Keep in mind that you’ll need to be running Zoom Pro to change the ID.

There are also a few options in settings you can disable to keep your meetings safe.

For example, don’t allow other participants to share their display. This way, you don’t have to worry about them sharing inappropriate content.

To make changes to your account, you’ll need to log into Zoom’s site, and from there you can access Settings. Once you sign in, click on Settings > In Meeting (Basic) on the left and look for the screen sharing option.

Under the option, Who can share? Click on Host-only. When you click on this option, it’s going to grey out the one below automatically.

Other Features to Turn Off

Other options that are best that you turn off are:

  • Embed Password in Meeting Link for One-Click Join – Allows users to join by only clicking on the link and doesn’t require the user to enter a password.
  • Remote Control – If you did allow someone to share their screen, this option allows the user to let someone else take control of what they share.
  • File Transfer – You never know when someone might unknowingly share a file with a virus. So, if you would rather be safe than sorry, disable this feature so only you can share files.
  • Join Before Host – With this option off, no one can join the meeting unless you arrive.
  • Allow Participants to Rename Themselves – By allowing participants to rename themselves, you run the risk of the user renaming themselves with an offensive name.

Options in Settings You Should Turn On

There are options that you’ll need to turn on to protect your meeting from Zoombombing. For example, don’t forget to enable:

  • Mute Participants Upon Entry – This option will prevent the intruder from delivering his/her message and give you time to remove them from the meeting.
  • Require a Password When Scheduling New Meetings
  • Require a Password for Instant Meetings
  • Waiting Room – This option will keep participants waiting until you let them in.
  • Identify Guest Participants in the Meeting/Webinar
  • Always Show Meeting Control Toolbar – By having the control toolbar handy, you can take quick action in case you need to.
  • Lock Meeting – By turning this option on, no one can join once the meeting starts. If you’re sure that everyone who needs to be there is, locking the meeting is a good idea.

How to Change Your Personal ID in Zoom

If you’re using the basic Zoom plan, you won’t be able to choose a Personal Meeting ID. If you try to, you’ll only get a message telling you that only your IT admin can change your Personal Meeting ID.

There will be an upgrade option next to the message, just in case, this option is worth the upgrade for you. If you do  have a paid account, you can change it by signing into Zoom’s site and clicking on the Profile option on the left. The Personal Meeting ID will be the first option on the list.

Conclusion

Zoom has said that they are working on improving the service’s security flaws. If they want to keep the popularity they have gained; hopefully these fixes will come soon. How often do you use Zoom? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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