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This article provides step-by-step instructions for creating secure classes and meetings to prevent Zoombombing.
What is Zoombombing?
A new form of trolling in which a participant uses Zoom’s screen sharing feature to interrupt and disrupt meetings and classes. Uninvited guests can also use their audio and video cameras to disrupt your Zoom session.
Ways to Secure your Classes/Meetings to Prevent Zoombombing
As you get used to Zoom and set up classes and meetings, you may find some of these options are more than you need. But they are options to explore as you find the right mix for your exact needs.
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General Security Recommendations
- Do not publish your class or meeting links on open websites or social media. This is especially true if you are using your Personal Meeting ID (which is your personal link) for every class or meeting.
- It is best to create a new recurring meeting for each class section to ensure students join the correct session. It not recommended to use your Personal Meeting ID (PMI) for general classes or meetings.
- If you use your Personal Meeting ID (PMI) for office hours, it is recommended you use a waiting room to only admit individuals one-at-a-time for privacy, just as you would in your physical office.
- When possible, use a meeting password or waiting room to control access into classes or meetings.
- Ask students to use their roster names as it displays in Canvas as their Zoom display name. This allows you to ensure your students are in the right class, as well as limits unknown nicknames. Unfortunately, Zoom will sometimes grab their computer name or cell phone number and the participant must change this for your to recognize them. Having unknown names at the beginning of term can be challenging when everyone is new to you. However if most are able to set their names correctly, it will help ensure the correct people are in your sessions.
Set Meeting Password
When scheduling a meeting, check "Require meeting password" and create a password for your meeting. Share it with your participants/students to prevent uninvited participants.
Enable Waiting Room
This options only admits participants to your meeting upon approval. When creating or editing a meeting, expand Advanced Options section and check Enable waiting room.
Upon joining, participants will be in the waiting room and you will have to admit them before they can participate.
Waiting Room: Add or Remove Participants
When in the meeting you admit participants from the waiting room by clicking Manage Participants. This opens the Participants pane at the right to see who is in the waiting room. You are able to Admit participants to the meeting or Remove them from participating. Note: It is not recommended that you use the Admit all feature as this may admit participants that should not be in your class.
- Click Admit (a) to allow a single participant into the meeting.
- Click Remove (b) to prevent a single participant from entering your Zoom meeting.
Remove Participant from Class or Meeting
If someone is in a meeting and you want to remove them, do the following:
- Click Manage Participants in the bottom pane.
- In the Participants panel at the right, mouse over the person’s name and click More.
- Click Remove.
Lock Meeting
When the Zoom meeting is locked, no additional participants are able to enter, even if they have the meeting password.
- While in the meeting session, click the Manage Participants in the bottom toolbar.
- In the Participants pane at the right, hover at the bottom to display additional options.
- In the participants’ pop-up menu, select More and Lock Meeting.
Enable Screen Share for Participants already in a Zoom Meeting
Follow the steps to allow participants to share their screen while in a Zoom meeting.
- Place your mouse in the Zoom meeting window. A black toolbar will appear.
- Next to the Share Screen button, click up arrow and select Advanced Sharing Options...
- On the pop-up screen,under How many particpants can share at the same time your options are the following:
- Select One participant can share at a time (default option)
- Select Multiple participants can share simultaneously (dual monitors recommended)
- Under Who can share, your options are
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- Select Only Host (Default options: only you, as the meeting host, can share your screen)
- Select All participants (all individuals in your meeting are able to share their screens)
- As the host, you will be the only participant in the meeting who can start sharing while another person is sharing.
Disable Chat in a Zoom Class or Meeting
Follow the instructions to disable chat in a zoom meeting.
- In the Zoom meeting window, click Chat.
- In the Chat panel, click ... button.
- In the pop-up window, click No One to prevent participants from chatting in the meeting.
See this information from Zoom for more Zoom security tips and tricks.