After two years of non-stop Zoom meetings, it may be time for a refresher! In our system and nationwide, unfortunate situations have occurred in both classroom meetings and large events. Disruptive participants have changed their name and profile pictures to offensive representations or instigated instances of verbal abuse. These situations derail the educational experience, presentation, offend guests, and require the host to take quick action.
CCC TechConnect Senior Media Help Desk Specialist Donna Gustafson offers four important tips on keeping Zoom meetings safe. “It’s important to establish default settings that apply to all meetings to avoid unwanted guests. 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.” In cases where users have forgotten to review the default settings before the meeting, Gustafson points out that “the Zoom meeting toolbar has a security icon that allows the host to select or deselect the options while in the live meeting.” Even if you’ve forgotten to set the security measures before the meeting, there are ways to do it after the meeting has begun.
“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’s important to learn about these best practice protocols to ensure that your meeting is a safe and productive space for all attendees. CCC TechConnect and Zoom continue to make security a priority. Visit the TechConnect support site article for recommendations, or you can also refer to Zoom help.
The Vision Resource Center provides free access to learning resources for those in need of Zoom support system wide. These webinars and learning resources showcase how several community colleges are meeting the Zoom challenges to effectively meet the counseling, outreach, orientation and workshop needs of staff and students. To access these valuable resources, visit visionresourcecenter.cccco.edu/.
Also, if you find yourself a victim of abuse in your meeting, please report inappropriate behavior to Zoom Trust and Safety.
