As businesses turn to Zoom for videoconferencing, a new generation of security threats has emerged. Among them is ZoomBombing in which intruders invade sessions and disrupt them.
Among the disruptions are the sharing of porn videos by the unwelcome guests. One of the important ways to prevent problems is by use of passwords to allow participants into session.
Zoom itself advises the use of the Waiting Room feature via which a meeting host can control when participants join a meeting. That way the host can screen out participants not on the Zoom account or not signed in.
The company also says hosts should not give up control of the screen. They can utilize Advanced Screen Sharing choosing “Only Host” under “Who can share?”, along with locking Screen Share by default for all meetings under web settings.
Participants can also be managed by allowing only signed-in users to join while meetings can be locked to prevent anyone from joining, including those with a meeting ID and password, from joining after the meeting has started. Two-factor authentication can also be required.
Other controls that can help are these: Disable “Allow Removed Participants to Rejoin” to keep miscreants from returning. Remove Unwanted or Disruptive Participants by clicking Remove under the Participants menu. Disable Video Mute Participants Turn off file transfer to prevent unwanted content such as pictures or memes. Turn off Annotation Disable Private Chat.
In addition, software security company Norton has another series of recommendations for videoconferencing more securely. These start with following a company’s policy, including making sure a device is secure if the user is bringing their own device. Companies should provide training, ensure endpoints and networks are secure and capable of handling teleworkers’ devices and communication.
Norton says users must establish home network security be configuring firewalls and making sure routers are secure. They should also stay up-to-date with security patches. A secure-wi-fi with strong encryption should be used.
Norton also recommends participants change their video backgrounds so other members of video calls cannot see into their homes and to remember to turn off the webcast at the end of the call or at least cover it with something opaque, such as tape, paper or a sliding webcam cover.
A Virtual Private Network also provides greater security because it masks IP addresses, location, and search history to prevent things like location tracking.
