Key tips to avoid Zoombombing and unwanted meeting guests


Are you using Zoom for large meetings or classroom instruction? If you are, be sure you’re taking proactive steps to ensure a safe environment for you and your students or other attendees.

Zoom has made several security enhancements to ensure safe meetings and prevent instances of Zoombombing — a term for intruders disrupting online meetings. Nevertheless, anyone running a meeting has a key role in safeguarding their meetings.

Note that Zoom continues to enhance security. Visit the Zoom Privacy and Security webpage for the latest details, and also consider reading Zoom’s blog post on keeping uninvited guests from your Zoom event.

Follow these steps to ensure your meetings are secure.

Passcodes

Passcodes are automatically enabled and required for any newly scheduled meetings. They are unique to each scheduled meeting and are meant to be shared with your invited meeting participants along with the meeting ID in order for them to gain access. You should not share passcodes publicly by posting them on a public website or by sharing via social media. Zoom offers more guidance on the use of passcodes.

Use a Waiting Room

Enable the Waiting Room feature in your Zoom account. This virtual staging area prevents people from joining a meeting until the host is ready to begin. You can customize the settings to control which participants can join your meeting and when. Learn more about the Waiting Room feature in Zoom.

Only allow Rutgers users to join

When you schedule a meeting through your Zoom account, you can check the Require authentication to join option in the meeting Security section. If you check this box, only users with a Rutgers Zoom account will be able to join your meeting. Make sure that all participants have a Rutgers account beforehand. Get more info on how to select this security feature.

Do not share your Meeting link in public forums

Don’t share meeting information on social media accounts, chat rooms, direct messaging platforms, or other public places. Only use an official, secure method of communication to share a meeting link with your invited guests. By sharing your meeting links publicly, you are potentially exposing it to intruders. Learn more about how to share your Zoom meetings and webinars securely.

Keep Zoom updated

Don’t assume Zoom will automatically update your desktop or mobile application. Always ensure you are using the latest version of Zoom with security enhancements. Learn how to update Zoom.

Don’t select “Allow participants to join anytime”

In your meeting settings, under Options, make sure Allow participants to join anytime is left unchecked as a way to avoid disruptive visitors from arriving before you do.

Limit screen sharing

Prevent other participants from sharing their screens without individual authorization. Turning this feature off will eliminate unwanted distractions, as the meeting host controls what’s shared. To limit screen sharing, click the ^ arrow next to Share Screen while in the meeting, click Advanced Sharing Options, then under Who can share? choose Host Only. Get more info on these features and others for managing participants.

Don’t use your personal Zoom meeting ID

Zoom’s default choice is to generate a unique Meeting ID for you when you schedule a meeting. Make sure to choose that setting. If you use your personal meeting room ID instead and share it with others, anyone who knows it can join your personal meeting by adding that ID to the meeting link. If a meeting ID is automatically generated each time, unwanted users won’t have access to it.

Lock your session

Sometimes you’ll want to lock your meeting after it’s gotten underway to prevent unexpected visitors. When you do this, participants won’t be able to join, even if they have the password. To lock your meeting while in it, click Security at the bottom of your Zoom window. In the pop-up, click Lock Meeting.

Remove unwanted participants

Hosts are given the ability to remove participants once a meeting is underway. Zoom advises: “From that Participants menu, you can mouse over a participant’s name, and several options will appear, including Remove. Click that to kick someone out of the meeting.” Learn more about managing participants.

Pause the meeting temporarily to remove a disruptive participant

Hosts and co-hosts now have the option to temporarily pause their meeting and remove a disruptive participant. Under the Security icon on your Zoom meeting screen, you can now click “Suspend Participant Activities.” By doing this, all video, audio, in-meeting chat, annotation, screen sharing, and recording during that time will stop, and Breakout Rooms will end.