Zoom Security Awareness

Keep uninvited visitors out of your zoom meetings and avoid “Zoombombing”!

There have been many reports in the news recently of “zoombombing.” While the Zoom video conferencing service enables students, faculty and staff to connect during this time of social distancing, it can also allow unwanted participants to crash meetings and classes if the online sessions are not properly secured.

Have we had a reported incident of “zoombombing” at Tarleton? Unfortunately, yes. “Bad actors” are persistent.

To prevent these intrusions, known as “zoombombings,” please review the guidance below to help you secure your virtual zoom meetings and protect your attendees. Additional information can be found on Tarleton’s Zoom videoconferencing website. Please check periodically for additional updates and best practices. If you have any questions, please call the Help Desk at 254-968-9885. Thank you.

Protecting Meetings with Passcodes

Zoom allows hosts to set passcodes on their meetings to protect against randomly entered or mistakenly typed meeting IDs. When a passcode is enabled, Zoom will include a hash in the meeting URL, allowing your invited attendees to join with one click. Invites will also list the passcode so that participants can join manually or call in by phone, if needed.

Sharing Zoom Links via Social Media

We strongly encourage you not to share your zoom meeting links via social media. However, if that is the most effective method for communicating the meeting please use one or more of the following best practices to minimize the risk of “zoombombing”.

Waiting room – On

The Waiting Room feature allows the host to control when a participant joins the meeting. As the meeting host, you can admit attendees one by one or hold all attendees in the waiting room and admit them all at once. This option can be selected in your permanent settings and/or for each new meeting you schedule.

Join before host – Off

If you select join before host, then the participants can join the meeting before the host joins or without the host. This option can be selected in your permanent settings and/or for each new meeting you schedule.

Mute participants upon entry – On

Background noises can take over your meeting unintentionally. You might also consider disallowing participants to unmute themselves. In that case participants can use the “Raise hand” feature or the chat room to indicate when they want to speak. You can then manually unmute them. This option can be selected in your permanent settings and/or for each new meeting you schedule.

Participants video – Off

Start meetings with participant video off. Participants can change this during the meeting. This option can be selected in your permanent settings and/or for each new meeting you schedule.

Screen sharing – ON with “Host Only”

Screen sharing allows host and participants to share their screen or content during meetings. Set your default for who can share to “host only.” As a host during the meeting, you can allow screen sharing with attendees as needed. This option can only be selected in your permanent settings.

Registration for meeting – consider when appropriate

Scheduling a meeting that requires registration will allow you to have your participants register with their e-mail, name, other questions, and custom questions. You can also generate meeting registration reports if you want to download a list of people that registered.

Private chat – consider when appropriate

As the host, you can control who meeting or webinar participants are allowed to chat with. You can also disable the chat for all participants or disable private chat, so participants cannot send private messages. Disabling private chat will help tamp down any potential bullying or harassment during your meeting.

Thank you for your effort and assistance with keeping our collaborative and learning environment safe and secure!