How to keep Zoom Bombers from Ruining your Next Meeting 

March, 2020 - Robb Harvey, Kevin Elkins, Karolyn Perry

Zoom, the social platform which has become nearly ubiquitous in the past few weeks, has unintentionally introduced the world to a new term: “Zoom Bombing."

Millions of people are struggling to maintain some semblance of normalcy as they continue to engage in personal and business interactions while simultaneously practicing social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses and colleges are using video conferencing tools such as Zoom to conduct meetings and classes, while other consumers are using these tools to host online discussions, book clubs, happy hours, tasting sessions and concerts. Despite its usefulness, Zoom’s teleconference technology also comes with potential risks. As of late, these Zoom gatherings have been exposed to an explosive rise in malicious attacks known as “Zoom Bombing.”

Zoom Bombing occurs when a prankster or troll gate-crashes a Zoom meeting, sometimes one that he or she was not invited to attend and other times public meetings. On Zoom, the default setting set by the company permits participants to share their screen without permission from the meeting host. Once the troll crashes the meeting, he or she may display vulgar, misogynistic, or racist videos, images, or text, or even scream obscenities and taunts. They can also weaponize the chat feature to harass meeting participants, make off-color jokes, or worse. Public meetings are open to all, and links are readily available on Twitter, Facebook Groups, and other sources. Numerous examples of Zoom Bombing have occurred in the past few weeks, catching event organizers by surprise.

Some of these instances occurred on a national scale, and others have hit very close to home. During a Tennessee-based film class last week, students were shocked by cursing and pornographic pictures, and the class was quickly terminated. Similar stories have recently been reported all over the country. National restaurant chain Chipotle’s recent public Zoom event with the musician Lauv was forced to be terminated when a participant began displaying pornography. Similarly, journalists who had organized a Zoom meeting about challenges that women tech founders face were “bombed” by a participant displaying pornography, and they were forced to terminate the event.

There is no way to protect yourself from any and every possible attack, but there are steps that you can, and must, take to defend yourself and your organization.

 

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