How to lock down Zoom to improve your privacy and security
Zoom has received a lot of attention because of the increased number of people working from home, some good, some bad. There have been various security and privacy issues with the video conferencing app, but there are steps you can take to lock things down a little.
Following numerous controversies, Zoom has not only issued an apology but also put a stop on the development of new features while it gets itself in order. In the meantime, there are a various things you can do to increase your privacy and security when you're using Zoom.
See also:
- Zoom issues an apology for privacy and security issues, will enact a feature freeze to focus on fixes
- Zoom claims to offer end-to-end encryption -- even though that's not strictly true
- Zoom security vulnerability can be used to steal Windows login credentials
Privacy advocates at the Electronic Frontier Foundation have provided a series of tips explaining the settings you need to change in the Zoom app to ensure maximum privacy and security. It is worth noting that there are different settings and options available to you depending on whether you're looking at your Zoom account online, so make sure you look in both places to exercise maximum control over things.
Head over to your online settings, move to the In Meeting (Basic) section and ensure that Auto saving chats is disabled. Virtual backgrounds tend to be used for fun in Zoom, but they can also be used to prevent people from seeing what's going on in your house. In the app you will find various options to choose from in the Virtual Background section of settings.
EFF also suggests various privacy protecting techniques, such as ensuring that you don't share meeting IDs online, and that you secure meetings with a password to prevent the involvement of unwanted participants. Other things to consider are locking down the Screen sharing to Host Only, and making use of the Waiting room feature to ensure that no unwanted guests get involved.
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