10 Ways to secure Zoom

It was widely reported that popular Zoom was not secured to use. Zoom has released its patches to secure its software. Having said that, you can take additional measures to secure yourself while using Zoom.

1. Use a Unique ID for Large or Public Zoom Calls

When you schedule a Zoom meeting, look for the Meeting ID options and choose to Generate Automatically. Doing so plugs up one of the biggest holes that Zoom-bombers can exploit.

2. Require a Meeting Password

One way to protect the meeting is to require a password. You can give the password out only to those who have replied and seem credible. To password-protect a meeting, start by scheduling a meeting and checking the box next to Require a meeting password.

3. Create a Waiting Room

When participants log into the call, they see a Waiting Room screen, the host, lets them in. You can let people in all at once or one at a time, which means if you see names you don’t recognize in the Waiting Room, you don’t have let them in at all.

4. Only the Hosts Should Share Their Screen

Make sure your settings indicate that the only people allowed to share their screens are hosts. You can enable this setting in advance as well as during a call.

5. Create an Invite-Only Meeting

Only people who can join the call are those you invited, and they must sign in using the same email address you used to invite them.

6. Lock a Meeting Once It Starts

While the meeting is running, navigate to the bottom of the screen and click Manage Participants. The Participants panel will open. At the bottom, choose More > Lock Meeting.

7. Kick Someone Out or Put Them on Hold

During the call, go to the participants' panel on the right. Hover over the name of the person you want to boot and when options appear, choose Remove.

8. Disable Someone’s Camera

f someone is being rude or inappropriate on video, the host can open the Participants panel and click on the video camera icon next to the person’s name.

9. Prevent Animated GIFs and Other Files in the Chat

In the chat area of a Zoom meeting, participants can share files, including images and animated GIFs – if you let them.

10. Disable Private Chat

Open Setting in the Zoom web app (it’s not in the desktop app). On the left side, go to Personal > Settings. Then click In Meeting (Basic). Scroll until you see Private chat. When the button is gray, it’s disabled.