How to Secure Your Zoom Meetings from Hackers

Many Business Professionals Are Flocking to Video Conferencing Software Like Zoom to Encourage Collaboration While Working Remotely, But Is Zoom Safe? How Do You Protect Against Hackers?

The coronavirus pandemic is forcing many business professionals to embrace remote work sooner than they otherwise would have, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing given the numerous benefits of working from home. But for many, the transition is made difficult due to a lack of knowledge on what tools to use, how to safeguard those tools, and how to stay productive without working in the office. Zoom, a video conferencing software, has become a trusted tool of choice for those looking to collaborate with others while working remotely. But is it safe? How do you protect your meetings against hackers trying to gain access?

As Zoom Usage Continues to Rise, Cybercriminals Are Seeing an Opportunity…

Zoom shares have increased dramatically over the past few weeks as the video conferencing software sees more and more users. Unfortunately, cybercriminals see an opportunity in the software too. They’ve been exploiting it to wreak havoc during the coronavirus pandemic. According to trusted industry experts, there’s even been a significant increase in domain names purchased with the word “zoom” in them.

Why? Because hackers use this as a gateway for malware to gain access to corporate networks. While business professionals are in a rush to work from home, many of them forget to implement the same or similar security measures as they have in the office. The strict cybersecurity standards cybercriminals usually have to bypass are no longer present within homes.

Here are Our Tips to Protect Your Zoom Meetings Against Hackers…

As cybercriminals become more and more drawn to the video conferencing software, the FBI issued a warning:

“The best mitigation strategy at this point is just to let a lot of the users know that this is going on, because they’re going to be the ones that can protect themselves best” FBI Special Agent Doug Domin explained.

Here are our tips to keep your meetings safe against hackers looking to hijack your calls to wreak havoc:

Treat Your Login Credentials Like Any Other Sensitive Information

Zoom login credentials should be treated similarly to any other sensitive login credentials. Don’t hand them out to your colleagues or friends, don’t share them via email or social media, and overall, keep them to yourself. Use a strong password made of 12 or more characters, including letters, numbers, and symbols.

Require a Password for All of Your Meetings

All of your meetings should require a password upon entry. This is the best way to minimise the risk of unauthorised individuals joining without permission or invites. You can find this option in the user settings for instant meetings or when you’re booking a scheduled meeting. Make this known to your team so they’re doing the same.

Enable H.323 and SIP Encryption

Encryption can be required for H.323 and SIP devices joining any meetings. This option is available to be configured at the account level, group level or user level. Once enabled, the conference room connector will be much safer. But remember, this isn’t enabled by default so you must set it up.

Make Sure Everyone is Clicking on the Right Link

Whether you’re downloading the video conferencing software or you’re joining a meeting, the link should always have “zoom.us” in it. Otherwise, it’s likely a scam setup by cybercriminals looking to steal sensitive information, install malware on your system or simply wreak havoc for entertainment.

Zoom Can Be Used Safely, As Long As You Know What You’re Doing…

If you’re ever uncertain, get in touch with our team of technology professionals. We’d be happy to help. Zoom is an excellent choice for video conferencing as it allows:

Up to 1,000 participants to get together virtually with features like screen sharing, private chat, and video conferencing.
Four tiers of pricing with varying call bandwidths – and a free version offering 40-minutes of video conferencing at a time.
Instant or scheduled meetings to work with any organisation’s timelines and keep communication flowing.

Need Help? Sydney Technology Solutions is Here for You. Contact Us at (02) 8212 4722 Now.

Sydney Technology Solutions was founded in 1999, and since then, we’ve strived to help organisations of all sizes maintain business contingency plans that account for disruptions like this. If you need a hand, we’re here to help.

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