Zoom Meeting Security

This email about Zoom Meeting Security was sent to employees and students by VIjay Menta on February 8, 2024:

Dear WPI Employees and Students,

Zoom meetings have become an integral mode of working together, but hackers and trolls continue finding new ways to hinder that experience. Publicly shared Zoom links attract and allow disruptors to join meetings. Enabling appropriate Zoom settings protects your sessions from offensive and embarrassing intrusions by uninvited guests, and helps you provide a positive meeting environment for attendees.

ITS strongly recommends that all Zoom meetings have at least one of these security options: Passcode, Waiting Room, or Require Authentication.   Internal meetings with only @WPI.edu attendees are best protected by the "Require Authentication" option when scheduling from the Zoom web portal. This will prevent anyone not logged in to a WPI IT service from accessing your meeting. A meeting passcode and waiting room can be enabled when scheduling a meeting from the Zoom Client, Outlook plugin, or from the Zoom web portal. Passcodes should not be shared on open webpages. 

Please take time to adjust security options for existing and recurring meetings, and make it your regular practice to protect meetings going forward using the Secure Your Zoom Meeting instructions on the WPI Hub.  The article contains details for including external non-WPI attendees, as well as additional settings you may apply. If you have questions about Zoom meeting security or need assistance establishing settings, please contact the IT Service Desk.

Thank you for attending to WPI Zoom meeting security, which is vital for:

1. Privacy, Confidentiality, and Legal Requirements to ensure that sensitive information shared during discussions is protected.
2. Protecting Against Data Breaches by preventing shared screens, documents, and files from being exposed to unauthorized viewers. 
3. Our Inclusive Community values are reflected because avoiding potential disrespectful and negative disruptions helps participants experience a safe environment, maintain trust, and effectively collaborate during meetings.

Together we can overcome Zoombombing!

Best,

Vijay Menta (he/him/his) 

Vice President and Chief Information Officer

Kate Beverage

Director, Technology for Teaching & Learning Services