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Tips to Avoid Zoom-bombing: AN UPDATE

UPDATED Tips to Avoid Zoom-bombing

As people have become more reliant on Zoom meetings because of the coronavirus pandemic, there have been more and more instances of Zoom-bombing, or meetings being hacked by trolls. It’s very important to take the necessary security precautions to prevent this from happening to you. Make sure to review the ZOOM RESOURCE LINK. Also check out the Knowledge Base article on how to avoid Zoom-bombing in our IT Self Service Service Now Directory. To avoid being Zoom-bombed, review these simple security tips:


  1. Update your Zoom client

Every so often, Zoom regularly releases new versions of its desktop client and mobile app to fix bugs and improve security. Don’t automatically assume that Zoom will automatically update. Make sure you keep your Zoom up-to-date, as this is one of the best ways to avoid being Zoom-bombed. To check if you need an upgrade:

  • Sign in to your Zoom desktop client.

  • Click your profile picture and then click “Check for updates.”

  • If there is a newer version, Zoom will download and install it.


  1. Don’t publicly share meeting links

This might seem like common sense, but only share meeting links with the people meant to be in the meeting. Don’t share them on public platforms like Facebook or Twitter.


  1. Create a waiting room 

Another way to avoid Zoom-bombing is by creating a waiting room. Managing meeting participants is key: by enabling the waiting room feature, participants can’t get into the call until you — the host — lets them in.


  1. Secure your meetings with a passcode

For an added layer of protection, secure your meetings with a unique passcode. When participants go to enter the call, they’ll need both the meeting link/ID and passcode in order to gain access. Remember: only share passcodes with meeting attendees. Do not share them publicly.


  1. Make sure only the hosts can share their screens

To prevent hijacking, change your settings so that only the meeting host can share their screen. This will prevent bad actors from ruining your meeting with inappropriate images. 


  1. Lock your meeting

Once all the expected participants have joined, it's easy to lock your meeting to prevent anyone else from getting in. To do so, click “Participants” at the bottom of your Zoom window. In the pop-up box that appears, click “Lock meeting.”


  1.  Require participant authentication

Zoom’s authentication feature allows hosts to restrict the participants who can join their meeting to those logged into Zoom. If a participant isn’t signed in, or is signed in with an email address different from the one that received the meeting invitation, they won’t be able to get in.


  1. When in doubt, kick them out!

If a disruptive participant manages to get into your meeting, you have the option to kick them out. To do so, click the “Participants” button mentioned above, then mouse over the unruly participant’s name and select “Remove.” Once removed, they won’t be able to rejoin.


For more information on how to avoid being Zoom-bombed by trolls, visit our other blog post: How To Avoid Zoombombing. 

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We know these are hard times, but ITS is here to help. For a comprehensive list of resources and answers to your coronavirus-related questions, visit https://www.binghamton.edu/its/about/organization/information-security/covid-links.html.


Received a phishy Covid-related email? Report it to security@binghamton.edu.


Experiencing tech problems? Contact the ITS Help Desk at 607-777-6420 or helpdesk@binghamton.edu. You can also check the Self Service Knowledge Base: https://binghamton.service-now.com/sp?id=kb_view2.