Since the beginning of this COVID-19 pandemic it seems like both business and socializing revolves around video conferencing, such as Zoom. Whether you’re having a virtual happy hour or working on a project for your organization, video conferencing has brought people together during a time of social distancing. It allows for video chatting and screen sharing and it's a great way to stay connected, personally and professionally.
With the increase in web conferencing uzilization, hackers have jumped on the bandwagon. There is a new practice known as Zoom-bombing, which is specific to the Zoom application. This new vulnerability allows cybercriminals to eavesdrop on meetings and other calls. This kind of access would allow the hacker to obtain any files or information that’s shared during that meeting. Hackers get away with this sort of attack because when they join meetings with a high volume of participants, most wouldn’t notice the extra meeting members.
Rest assured, there are security concerns across all video conferencing applications, Zoom just happens to be hitting the news at the moment. Unless you’re taking the proper precautions, you’re highly vulnerable to this sort of attack.
Zoom has responded quickly and is in the process of fixing the issue. It replaced the randomized generation of meeting ID numbers with a “cryptographically strong” one, added more digits to meeting ID numbers, and made password requirements the default for future meetings. We also suggest having someone monitor the users in the meeting. That way you can delete anyone you don’t recognize.
Best Practices for Utilizing Web Conferencing Tools
As you continue to transition into your new work environment we have some recommendations to keep you as secure as possible and ahead of new video hacking schemes:
- Do not make meetings public. There should be two options to make a meeting private. You can require a meeting password or use the waiting room feature and control the admittance of guests.
- Do not share a link to a web conference on an unrestricted publicly available social media post. Provide the link directly to specific people.
- Manage screen-sharing options.
- Ensure you’re using an updated version of your conferencing software. If you’re unsure, please check with the support desk.
Although Zoom is handling this vulnerability it’s still important to take the proper steps to protect yourself and other users in your meetings.
Etiquette
Now that everything is being done virtually, we have some tips to share so you have the most successful Zoom calls possible.
Setup
There’s nothing wrong with using photobooth or another program to check out how your background looks before you get the meeting going. If it’s a business meeting, it’s important to keep things professional. Make sure your top half is dressed appropriately and that your background is business acceptable. That means, try not to take Zoom calls from your bed.
If you have the ability, it’s also nice to sit by a window for natural light. This will make you look your best and people will be able to see you more clearly.
Space
Make sure you’re in a comfortable and quiet space. Although you might be quarantined alone, there are a lot of people who are with their families. Families are great but they can also be loud and noisy without realizing you’re on a work call. Try and find a space that works for you and communicate with your roommates or family members about the time frames of your calls.
Do a Test Run
There is a lot that goes into making a video conference work. You need both video and audio to work. You might sign into a meeting and realize your audio won’t work unless you restart your computer.
This makes you late for your meeting. By doing a test drive, you don’t have to worry about tardiness or technical issues.
Hosts
Hosts drive Zoom meetings. It’s their job to introduce everyone that’s involved in the meeting and also to stick around until the end.
If you'd like more information on how to protect yourself from cybercriminals contact The TNS Group today.
Categories: Managed Service Provider, MSP Blogs
