Zoom isn't giving non-paying users end-to-end encryption because they could be criminals
Zoom's meteoric rise in popularity due to COVID-19 forcing more people to work from home led to a great deal of interest in the video conferencing tool's security and privacy. The lack of end-to-end encryption was a major concern for many users, but following the recent acquisition of Keybase, Zoom CEO Eric S Yuan said it would "help us build end-to-end encryption that can reach current Zoom scalability".
Well, end-to-end encryption is here. But only if you're a paying Zoom customer. Anyone using a free account is being left out in the cold. Why? Because, Yuan explains, "we also want to work together with FBI, with local law enforcement in case some people use Zoom for a bad purpose". Yuan is apparently of the impression that paying customers could not possibly be potential criminals.
You need to take action if you want to avoid being cut off from Zoom
Zoom has been one of the most used, yet most lambasted, contestants in the video conferencing arena during coronavirus-driven lockdown times, and much of the focus has been on privacy and security issues.
Having acknowledged that it had work to do, the company promised to take steps to improve its service and has issued numerous updates to its app in recent months. The release of Zoom 5.0 in April was a major step, and you only have days to upgrade or risk being cut off from the service completely.
How to ensure communication security when working from home
With millions working from home for the first time thanks to coronavirus, many businesses have had to act quickly in order to facilitate remote communication which may never have been an option before the virus struck. Though these businesses may have already made the switch to internet-hosted calls and communications at work, providing access to all employees from home will not have been common. One of the most common concerns of using internet communication software is its security capacity, so how secure is it? And how can business leaders ensure the highest levels of safety for a remote workforce?
From news stories of vulnerable video conferencing software to threats from less secure home networks, navigating the security issues of a remote workforce may be a trial by fire for businesses attempting to maintain levels of normality during this time. Therefore, it will be important to understand both the benefits and drawbacks of internet communications to know what to look out for and how to inform staff of the best practice.
Zoom is gaining end-to-end encryption following acquisition of Keybase
As part of its 90-day security focus, Zoom has announced that it has acquired Keybase, an app that features end-to-end encryption to secure chats and file sharing. The Keybase team will help to bring the same security to Zoom.
The lack of end-to-end encryption has been one of the many criticisms of Zoom in recent months, and the company is keen to address this. However, Zoom says that it will only be bringing an end-to-end encrypted meeting mode to paid accounts and points out that this "privacy over compatibility" option will mean missing out on some features.
Zoom has another security update on the way to cut down on Zoombombing
It seems like it's been a little while since we heard much about Zoom, but we're still in the company's self-imposed 90-day security clean-up operation.
Having already released numerous updates to help lock down the video conferencing software, Zoom is about to release a new update that will help clamp down on the problem of Zoombombing for people with free accounts.
Zoom claims to have 300 million daily active users... and then backtracks on misleading statement
Much, if not most, of the recent attention on Zoom has been focused on its various privacy and security issues. Understandably keen to change the narrative, the company put out a statement last week in which it claims to have 300 million daily users. One problem: it isn't true.
Zoom may have been eager to get numbers out there that suggested greater popularity than the likes of Google Meet and Microsoft Teams, but the claim to have 300 million daily active users (DAUs) was misleading, and the company has been forced to retract its initial statement.
Google Meet is now free for everyone, making it a viable alternative to Zoom
It's only a few days since Facebook launched Messenger Room to serve as an alternative to video conferencing service Zoom. Now Google is getting in on the action, making is own video meeting tool available for free.
Google Meet has been opened up to everyone with a Google account -- previously only people with a paid-for G Suite account were able to start calls. From now until September meetings of any length involving up to 100 people are completely free, but at the end of September some restrictions will be introduced.
Facebook launches Messenger Rooms as an alternative to Zoom
While Zoom has been taking numerous steps to address various security and privacy concerns that have arisen in recent weeks, there are still plenty of people seeking alternatives to the video conferencing platform. Now Facebook is trying to make its Messenger tool a viable option.
With Facebook Messenger Rooms, the social media giant is giving people the option of conducting video chats with up to 50 people at a time. Unlike the free version of Zoom, there is no time limit on chats in Messenger Rooms, and as an added bonus there is no need to have a Facebook account to use it.
Zoom 5.0 is a major update with enhanced encryption and more security options
Zoom Video Communications has announced details of Zoom 5.0, a major update to its video conferencing client which goes a long way to addressing many of the security and privacy issues that have been found in recent weeks.
With the upcoming release, users can benefit from the addition of AES 256-bit GCM encryption, as well as the ability to choose routing options for calls.
10 top tips to help you use Zoom safely
Zoom's privacy and security issues have been in the headlines for a number of weeks now, causing concern for lots of users. But many people have no option but to use the software after it has been selected by the company they work for.
If you find that you have to use Zoom, there are steps you can take to ensure your experience is as safe as possible. Security firm Kaspersky has offered up a series of tips to boost your security and privacy on the platform.
'Not a safe platform': India bans government officials from using Zoom -- but offers up some great security advice
The unrelenting criticism of Zoom continues, with India being the latest to slap an official ban on the video conferencing tool.
Voicing concerns that Zoom is "not a safe platform", the Indian Cyber Coordination Centre issued an advisory saying that the tool is "not for use by government offices/officials for official purpose". But the country recognizes that many people will want or need to continue using Zoom and the ministry of home affairs has issued a helpful guide to safe use of the service.
Hackers are selling two serious Zoom zero-day vulnerabilities for $500,000
Both the Windows and macOS versions of Zoom have critical, unpatched security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers to target users and spy on calls and meetings.
Security experts say -- despite not having seen the actual code for the exploits -- that the Windows version of Zoom is affected by an RCE (Remote Code Execution) described as being "perfect for industrial espionage". The zero-days have been offered for sale for $500,000.
Hundreds of thousands of stolen Zoom accounts for sale on hacker forums for next to nothing
Problems for Zoom and users of the videoconferencing software seem just about unending. Following on from the revelation that a number of account credentials were available on the dark web, a new report shows that in fact there are credentials for hundreds of thousands of accounts available on hacking forums.
In all, over half a million account details have been found available -- some sold for fractions of a penny, and others made available completely free of charge.
Zoom will soon let some users choose which countries their data is routed through
As part of its continuing efforts to regain trust following a series of privacy and security scandals, Zoom has announced that it is introducing the option for users to choose which countries their data is routed through.
The move comes after concerns were voiced at Zoom's admission that some US calls were being routed through China. The new option will allow users to opt in or out of specific data center regions; unfortunately, this feature will not be made available to everyone.
Zoom is taking steps to improve privacy and security, and to prevent Zoombombing
The various security and privacy issues that have plagued Zoom in recent weeks have not only caused users to look at the video conferencing software differently, but also forced the company to take a long, hard look at itself.
Having already apologized for the numerous issues people have experienced, as well as making changes to the way the service works, Zoom has now also taken steps to prevent users from being Zoombombed. The change is a relatively minor one in the scheme of things, but it's an important one.
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