Be aware of the threats going aroundĬybercriminals are always on the lookout for scenarios tailor-made for them to attack software. A recent feature released by Zoom allows account owners and admins to disable personal meeting IDs (PMIs), which further makes Zoombombing difficult. This setting can be changed to allow all participants to share their screens but defaults to the more secure option. Also, henceforth, only the host has screen sharing privileges by default, and the host must allow participants to share their screens. Now, this feature is turned on by default and the host must allow attendees to join the meeting. While this feature was already available to users, many were either not aware of it or were not using it. Video chat gate crashers can now be stopped at the “gate” by the host with a feature called Waiting Rooms. This meant that even if hackers get their hands on a meeting ID, they could not access a meeting. One made passwords a pre-requisite for all meetings. They pushed out a few security updates quickly. To be fair, Zoom quickly realized they had a serious problem on their hands. Zoom is being leveraged by teachers to conduct online classes, which is a new normal in the times of coronavirus. It’s important to note that it’s not just adults who were susceptible to Zoombombing. These links are traded in various Facebook groups, Discord chats, social media platforms, and more. Also, anyone with a link to a public meeting could join the meeting, no questions asked. All that focus and concentration goes out of window, and you must stop the call.Ī default setting in Zoom allowed meeting participants to share their screen when they want, without asking for permission from the meeting’s host. And suddenly, pornographic content appears on the screen. Imagine your team brainstorming the efficacy of a marketing plan you have just implemented. If you’ve had a meeting Zoombombed, you know that it’s not a great feeling.

The purpose of these ‘screen shares’ is to disrupt calls, troll participants in a Zoom meeting, and harass them. They then use the video conferencing platform’s screen-sharing feature to broadcast graphic content like pornography to the video call’s attendees. This is the modus operandi: internet trolls jump uninvited into public Zoom calls.

If you have been using Zoom to handle your work-from-home team calls, you’ve probably already heard of Zoombombing.

Zoombombing examples