Security Advisory: Using Zoom Rooms
The University of Hartford is currently supporting two video platforms for synchronous video communication. Cisco’s WebEx and Blackboard’s Collaborate. With WebEx having been available for multiple years and Collaborate a new purchase. Any faculty or staff member who would like help with either of these tools can contact FCLD at fcld@hartford.edu, or call 860.768.4661 or the ITS Helpdesk at helpdesk@hartford.edu, or call 860.768.4357.
As we all adjust to what media is calling “The new normal” of communicating and teaching online and particularly over video, cybersecurity concerns are on our minds. You might have seen the news about Zoom and “Zoombombing” of college classes. While Uhart is not currently using Zoom at the enterprise level, you might be invited to a Zoom meeting by another institution or group. Here are some tips to keep in mind while joining Zoom meetings.
- Just as with email, be cautious of links posted in or through the meeting. Did someone say, “I’ll put the link in a chat window,” or is the name of the person sending the link not recognized?
- Ask the meeting host if they have changed the default meeting settings. The host simply might not know that without intervention, an uninvited guest can hijack the meeting. Here is a link to Zoom’s response on how to secure a meeting. https://blog.zoom.us/wordpress/2020/03/20/keep-uninvited-guests-out-of-your-zoom-event/
- If something happens in a zoom meeting, please report it! https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/requests/new
If you would like to read further about Zoom bombing, here is an article from Inside HigherEd. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/03/26/zoombombers-disrupt-online-classes-racist-pornographic-content