Software

Zoom Security and Privacy Settings for Remote Workers

With the global pandemic stretching on for months now, most organizations have had to carry on “normal” business operations under remote circumstances and settings. This means that most communication is being carried out remotely. Zoom video conferencing has been by far one, if not the most, popular online video conferencing platforms. It boasts a wide array of features and is relatively easy to use. Security of remote workers with any software solution is especially important. In this post, we will look at Zoom Security and Privacy Settings for Remote Workers and see how these can help to keep your end users safe and secure while using the video conferencing platform.

What is Zoom?

Zoom is a commercial online videoconferencing tool that helps to support meeting and collaboration activities of your organization while making use of a distributed remote workforce.

Zoom allows remote workers to connect to an online meeting of your business using a phone, tablet, or computer. What benefits does it tout?

  • Remote workers can connect to the platform and use a simple mobile device to participate effectively in online meetings
  • This can be done with or without video. Remote end users can choose to send video or not if they want
  • Multiple participants are shown on the screen at once and features two different views to see everyone or see only the active speaker
  • The camera will automatically switch to the person speaking
  • Participants, organizers, or both, depending on settings can share their screen to collaborate and carry out meetings using presentations
Zoom-meetings-provide-powerful-videoconferencing-platform
Zoom meetings provide powerful videoconferencing platform

Zoom Meeting Organizer

Zoom accounts have a meeting organizer or the one who manages and configures the Zoom account. This is generally the person that schedules the meetings and invites others to attend.

Scheduling a meeting

Once the organization’s account settings have been configured, the meeting organizer can schedule a meeting. When a meeting is scheduled, a meeting ID is generated for the meeting. Additionally, each meeting will by default have a password for the meeting.

For security purposes, each meeting that your organization holds, it is a good idea to generate a unique meeting ID and password for each meeting. This helps to ensure that if a single meeting ID and password is compromised, this will not affect all meetings, only a specific meeting ID.

Designate someone as a security attendant

For each meeting, especially larger meetings, it is a good idea to have someone designated to watch the Zoom meeting. For this responsibility, the security attendant for the meeting should be designated the Host or the Co-host role.

This person will need to be alert to those joining the meeting and can quickly handle any disruptions that may arise during a scheduled business meeting. The security attendant can join early and screen and admit the attendees as they join the meeting.

As has been experienced in the past with the so-called “Zoom bombings“, the security attendant will watch for disruptive individuals, inappropriate images, or profile pictures. He may need to mute an individual or stop an individual’s video feed.

Zoom Security and Privacy Settings for Remote Workers

The following settings are recommended Zoom security settings at the account level that can help to ensure the meetings are both secure as well as privacy is maintained for your remote workers.

Meeting > Schedule Meeting
Host videoOffOptional
Participants videoOffOptional
Audio TypeComputer AduioAudio
Join before hostOffRequired
Use Personal Meeting ID (PMI) when scheduling a meetingOffRequired
Use Personal Meeting ID (PMI) when starting an instant meetingOffRequired
Only authenticated users can join meetingsOffOptional
Only authenticated users can join meetings from Web clientOffOptional
Require a password when scheduling new meetingsOnRequired
Require a password for instant meetingsOnRequired
Required a password for Personal Meeting ID (PMI)OnRequired
Embed password in meeting link for one-click joinOffOptional
Require password for participants joining by phoneOnRequired
Upcoming meeting reminderOffOptional
Meeting > In Meeting (Basic)
Require Encryption for 3rd Party Endpoints (SIP/H.323)OnOptional
ChatOffOptional
Prevent participants from saving chatOnRequired, if chat is on
Private chatOffRequired
Auto saving chatsOffRequired
Play sound when participants join or leaveOffOptional
File transferOffRequired
Feedback to ZoomOffRequired
Display end-of-meeting experience feedback surveyOffRequired
Co-hostOnRequired
PollinigOffOptional
Allow host to put attendee on holdOnRequired
Always show meeting control toolbarOnOptional
Show Zoom windows during screen shareOffOptional
Screen sharingOnRequired.  Only the host is allowed to use screen sharing
Who can share?Host OnlyRequired
Who can start sharing when someone else is sharing?Host OnlyRequired
Disabled desktop/screen share for usersOff Optional
AnnotationOffRequired
WhiteboardOffRequired
Remote ControlOffRequired
Nonverbal feedbackOnOptional
Allow removed participants to rejoinOffOptional
Allow participants to rename themselvesOnOptional
Hide participant profile pictures in a meetingOnRequired
Meeting > In Meeting (Advanced)
Report participants to ZoomOnRequired
Breakout roomOnOptional
Allow host to assign participants to breakout rooms when schedulingOnOptional
Remote supportOffOptional
Closed captioningOffOptional
Save optionsOffRequired
Language interpretationOffOptional
Far end camera controlOffRequired
Group HD videoOff Optional
Virtual backgroundOffOptional
Identify guest participants in the meeting/webinarOffOptional
Auto-answer group in chatOffRequired
Only show default email when sending email invitesOffOptional
Use HTML format email for Outlook pluginOffOptional
Allow users to select stereo audio in their client settingsOnOptional
Aloow users to select original sound in their client settingsOnOptional
Waiting roomOnRequired
Choose which participants to place in the waiting roomAll ParticipantsRequired
Show a “Join from your browser” linkOnOptional
Allow live streaming meetingsOffOptional
Meeting > Email Notification
When a cloud recording is availableOffRequired
When attendees join meeting before hostOffRequired
When a meeting is cancelledOffRequired
When an alternantive host is set or removed from a meetingOffRequired
When someone scheduled a meeting for a hostOffRequired
When the cloud recording is going to be permanently deleted from trashOffRequired
Meeting > Other
Blur snapshot on IOS task switcherOnRequired
Local recordingOffRequired
Cloud recordingOffRequired
Automatic recordingOffRequired
IP Address Access ControlOffRequired
Only authenticated users can view cloud recordsOffRequired
Required password to access shared cloud recordingsOffRequired
Require password to access shared cloud recordingsOffRequired
Auto deleted cloud recordings after daysOffRequired
The host can delete cloud recordingsOffRequired
Recording disclaimerOffRequired
Multiple audio notifications of recorded meetingOffRequired
Telephone
Show international numbers link on the invitation emailOffOptional
Toll CallOffOptional
Toll-free and Fee-based Toll CallOffOptional
Call OutOffOptional
Choose where most of the participatns call into or call from the meetingOffOptional
Personal Aduio Conference (PAC)OffOptional
3rd Party AudioOffOptional
Mask phone number in the participants listOnRequired
Global Dial-in countries/regionsOffOptional

Concluding Thoughts

Zoom and others like it have revolutionized the remote workforce as we know it. It effectively allows remote employees across a distributed workforce to be able to effectively communicate and do so in a way that is secure and respects privacy when configured correctly.

The Zoom Security and Privacy Settings for Remote Workers mentioned detailed above are recommendations for securing your Zoom account. However, each business will need to evaluate their own business needs and see which particular settings make sense for your business.

Are you having difficulty with remote zoom connections? Take a look at my post here for automatic Zoom meeting joins for remote workers:

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Brandon Lee

Brandon Lee is the Senior Writer, Engineer and owner at Virtualizationhowto.com and has over two decades of experience in Information Technology. Having worked for numerous Fortune 500 companies as well as in various industries, Brandon has extensive experience in various IT segments and is a strong advocate for open source technologies. Brandon holds many industry certifications, loves the outdoors and spending time with family.

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