Coronavirus: Zoom promises changes in wake of security concerns, offers tips for safeguarding meetings
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- With the world suddenly working, learning, playing and living on Zoom, many people are wondering about how to use the video-conferencing tool, both in terms of features and security.
Zoom product manager Esther Yoon joined ABC7 news anchor Kristen Sze on ABC7's new interactive show at 3 p.m. to offer new users some best practices for protecting your privacy while using the popular platform.
The Federal Bureau Investigation has issued a warning that "Zoombombing" is on the rise.
That's when unauthorized users gain entry into virtual meetings. It's happened to some classrooms, with students exposed to inappropriate content or hateful messages.
In light of the cyber security threat, the FBI issued some tips on how use Zoom safely.
The agency says users should not make meetings public or share the link to a meeting in public social media posts.
In addition, Yoon says all users should use Zoom security features.
"We have features such as requiring a password before anyone can join, we have features like waiting zooms which means that before anyone can join your meeting, you actually have to admit them in," she said. "We even have locked room capabilities, so that once all your attendees are in your meetings, you can lock it so no one else can come in."
For larger meetings, Yoon suggests using Zoom Video Webinar. That's best for broadcasting because general attendees can only view, with their audio and video off. "You're going to prevent a lot of potential disruption."
Zoom says some of the recent issues are the result of rapid user growth, from 10 million in December to 200 million in March.
Yoon says Zoom is currently putting off rolling out new features to focus exclusively on strengthening its security and privacy structure. It will work with third party experts to review its security, and founder and CEO Eric Yuan will hold weekly webinars on privacy and security updates. Yuan gave an exclusive interview to ABC7 on March 20th, talking about the rise of Zoom and its challenges.
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