Zoom Security

It has been a year since most of us bid goodbye to our workplaces and began working at home, and for many, this was our first time remote work, so getting used to that kind of new normal took some time. Zoom has evolved from a descriptive term to an essential component of how we operate and remain connected throughout this time.

Due to its ease of setup, usability, and free conferences with up to 100 individuals, Zoom has surpassed competing platforms such as Microsoft Teams & Google Meet. However, due to its quick and unanticipated expansion, the company's security methods and privacy assurances have received more attention.

Let's look into some Zoom Security Issues to understand if Zoom is safe to use.

Phishing

Scammers tried to acquire their login information using fraudulent texts and emails just at the conclusion of last year.

The panic-inducing notifications advised that "your Zoom registration has been terminated" or even that "you missed a meeting," then provided a link to check back in. By following the button, you will be directed to a false login page that will record personal Zoom usernames and passwords, enabling criminals to use or hijack your accounts. While we're witnessing lesser zoom phishing operations such as these, we won't be immune to them as long as Zoom is prevalent - so keep vigilant and think carefully when opening any links.

Zoom-bombing

Zoom-bombing had become ultimate risk to everyone using the site at the beginning of the pandemic, as Zoom's prominence surged. Zoom has launched two characteristics to counteract these intruders:

Suspend Member Operations: allows the meeting host to halt the session, dismiss unruly attendees, and then restart it.

Report by Attendees: Allows meeting respondents to review problematic attendees, a feature that was exclusively available to meeting hosts.

While these capabilities may not prevent zoom bombs from occurring, they do allow hosts to quickly remove undesired attendees.

False claim of end-to-end encryption

When it was revealed that Zoom's end-to-end encryption (E2EE) wasn't what it claimed to be last Spring, they found themselves in hot water. Instead of conversations being encrypted end-to-end, the data was really only secured between each conference attendee and Zoom's servers, which meant this wasn't truly end-to-end secured.

Zoom ultimately revealed their ambitions to incorporate a genuine E2EE conference option into its system over the course of four phases in May of last year.

Is the Zoom app safe to use?

Notwithstanding Zoom's shady origins, it all comes down to what you're using it for and how you're utilising it. Zoom isn't the platform to debate sensitive governmental, business, or patient material, for example.

Zoom is secure enough yet for social gatherings & business meetings (that adhere to normal business). Naturally, there are some security best practices to follow when utilising the platform to ensure your safety. Zoom is riddled with security issues. Most of these have since been patched, but it begs the issue of how much more weaknesses are still out there for hackers to gain access.