Zoom Security Settings

As we embark on the start of a new academic year, it is a great time to revisit and remind ourselves on how to make our Zoom meetings as safe and secure as possible. In the past, unfortunate situations have occurred in both academic and large event settings, where disruptive participants have altered profile details using offensive language and imagery or interrupting the session altogether. These situations can derail the presentation, offend guests, and require the host to quickly remove individuals from the meeting.  

California Community Colleges (CCC) TechConnect Senior Media Help Desk Specialist Donna Gustafson offers important tips on how to keep Zoom meetings safe: “It’s important to establish default settings in your account that will apply to all meetings and help deter unexpected activities or behaviors. Also, setting a meeting password, using a waiting room, and allowing a new meeting ID to be generated for each meeting are important steps to take to ensure security.” If users have forgotten to review the default settings before the meeting, Gustafson suggests users click on the green shield on the top right of the meeting room, which provides meeting details as well as a link to your security settings overview. The meeting room toolbar icon allows hosts to enable security options for the active meeting, such as enabling a waiting room, locking the meeting room, and enabling/disabling some participant permissions. So even if you have not set the security measures before the meeting, there are ways to manage the meeting in progress.

“If the meeting host is not knowledgeable about the appropriate account settings they should have in place, or aren’t familiar with steps to mitigate the intruder, they can put themselves and their participants in a vulnerable position,” says Gustafson. 

It is important to learn about Zoom best practices to guarantee  your meeting is a safe and productive space for all attendees. CCC TechConnect and Zoom continue to make your security a priority. Visit the TechConnect support site article for recommendations, or refer to Zoom help.

Also, if you find yourself a victim of abuse in your meeting, please report inappropriate behavior to Zoom Trust and Safety.