Maximising your privacy & security when using Zoom as a video consulting tool.

This is a section that we have found very useful in relation to privacy settings when using Zoom. 

Full article and credits: Safety and Security While Video Conferencing with Zoom

If You’re Required to use Zoom as a Meeting Host

Zoom is the most widely known platform, and when participating we don’t often get to choose which system we’ll be meeting on. Sometimes our employers require a certain platform, or sometimes our audience expects it. If you don’t have a choice in which platform to use, there are still some steps you can take to heighten your meeting security.

This video reviews some settings in your Zoom account that can help prevent Zoom bombing and ensure that your attendees have a safe experience.

Leverage your Zoom settings. There are a number of settings in Zoom that can help you keep your meeting safe. Lock down your meetings with passwords, mute attendees on joining, and lock down screen sharing so that an attendee can’t take over your meeting with their screen without your permission.

Kick out users. You can kick a user out of your room. You shouldn’t have to if you’ve secured your Zoom account, but know that this is available to you. Click Manage Participants at the bottom of the Zoom window. Next to the person you want to remove, click More. From the list that appears, click Remove and confirm.

Share Zoom links carefully. Without any controls in place, a Zoom link will let anyone join. Don’t share your Zoom meeting link in public places like social media or other public forums. Hackers and pranksters have been searching for these and accessing meeting rooms at will, wreaking havoc on business meetings and even online schooling.

Lock your meetings. Once a meeting has started and everyone is in attendance, click Participants at the bottom of your Zoom window. In the participants pop-up box, you will see a button that says Lock Meeting. When you lock the meeting, no new participants can join, even if they have the meeting ID and password.

Using Video Conferencing as an Attendee

Don’t use Zoom chats for private messages. If you’re attending a meeting and want to send a private message to another attendee, be aware that when your Zoom meeting is being recorded, the room owner will receive a transcript of everything you say privately.

Don’t share personal information. As with any public forum, assume that anything you type into chat or say in a Zoom meeting, you are being recorded and you don’t have control of what happens to that recording. Don’t share personally identifiable information with anyone, whether private or publicly.

Turn off video and mute yourself unless needed. If you’re attending a class or meeting and you don’t need video or audio, mute yourself and turn off your video. This prevents video conferencing from inadvertently recording conversations in your home or exposing information you might not want it to.