With most of the world working from home due to the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus), we’re finding new ways to communicate with our colleagues virtually, from chatting on Slack to hanging out on Google. Some of us are using this platform for delivering keynote speaking or as an online virtual event.
Zoom’s meteoric rise has no doubt helped millions of people maintain a new kind of normalcy while we all stay indoors indefinitely—but with more and more people using the video conferencing tool every day, that means the privacy risks of using the platform have risen accordingly. But perhaps no service has prospered more during the pandemic than Zoom, which has seen its global daily active users skyrocket 67 per cent since the start of the year. Enough users have complained that Zoom has since updated its blog with tips and tricks to protect yourself.
It’s natural to have some questions about using Zoom. So here’s everything you need to know.
Can I still use Zoom?
Yes—as long as you exercise some caution. If you’re hosting a Zoom meeting, you’ll need to watch out for a few things:
🤳🏻A public meeting link is public, so don’t share it with anyone you don’t trust.
🤳🏻Same goes for your personal meeting ID. This is essentially a personal phone number that people can “drop-in” on at any time. Set up a password for participants to verify their entry before entering.
When you’re in the meeting, you’ll want to:
🤳🏻Manage screen sharing by ensuring you’re the only person in control of the meeting. To do this, click on “Who Can Share?” and confirm that “Host” is the only button clicked.
🤳🏻Manage participants by ensuring only signed-in participants can join the call. This way you know who people are if they’re behaving badly.
🤳🏻Set two factor authentication, remove unwanted or disruptive participants, disable video for participants, and disable private chat.
🤳🏻Say something if you see something. You can report unwanted activity, harassment, and cyberattacks to Zoom directly.