Zoom have now introduced some major security upgrades within their app. The most noteworthy of these changes is that Zoom now stops displaying Meeting IDs publicly.
Zoom Stops Displaying Meeting IDs
In a recent blog post, Zoom has announced the launch of numerous security features in the video-conferencing app. The most notable change is the hiding of Meeting IDs. Specifically, Zoom now stops displaying Meeting IDs on the app’s title bar.
This is a much-needed change, since many users began inadvertently leaking their Meeting IDs publicly in an attempt to promote/support the work-from-home trend. Such users also include prominent figures such as the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. On his Twitter account, he also shared one such screenshot of a cabinet meeting.
This morning I chaired the first ever digital Cabinet.
Our message to the public is: stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives. #StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/pgeRc3FHIp
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) March 31, 2020
Likewise, another similar incident from the Belgium Parliament even exposed the password, making the meeting highly vulnerable to Zoombombing.
Parlement is opnieuw aan de slag! Vandaag commissie #Defensie "via videoconferentie".
Hierin pleitten collega's @FranckenTheo voor uitbreiding militaire steun aan rusthuizen en bedankte @PeterBuysrogge de @BelgiumDefence manschappen voor hun inzet. #coronavirus #StayAtHome pic.twitter.com/BOAmdYXSAI
— Michael Freilich, MP (@MichaelFreilich) April 8, 2020
Now, the Zoom app will only have “Zoom” mentioned on the title bar without any Meeting ID. So, it will be safe to share screenshots in the future.
Other Security Upgrades
In addition to the above, Zoom has launched a dedicated Security icon for the hosts and co-hosts of the Meeting. This option will provide numerous security features to the respective users for managing the meetings. These include,
- Lock the Meeting
- Enabling Waiting Room
- Removing participants from the meeting
- Restricting participants from sharing screens, renaming themselves, chatting, etc.
There will also be some UI changes in the app for a better user experience.
The updates are available with Zoom version 4.6.10. Users can update their devices to get their hands on the recent changes.
These Zoom updates come right after the service addressed numerous security issues that mugged the app over the past weeks. Users, especially the new ones, must ensure they download the Zoom app from the official website only. Cybercriminals have already meddled with the app installer on third-party sites by bundling it with cryptominer.
