Review the tips below to avoid “ZoomBombing” – unwanted participants and content – and minimize unwanted disruptions in your Zoom meetings.
Routinely Review Default Settings
Zoom makes frequent updates, so it’s important to review the default settings once every week or two. Below are a list of recommended security settings for most class meetings. Login to your Zoom account via a web browser at https://uasystem.zoom.us
Once signed into your account, click on the Settings tab to review all settings. A blue button (toggled to the right) means the setting is on. A gray button (toggled to the left) means it is off.
Not every class or meeting is the same, so adjust the settings to meet your particular situation.
Host video – OFF
Participants video – OFF
Audio Type – Telephone and Computer Audio
Join before host – OFF
User Personal Meeting ID (PMI) when scheduling a meeting – OFF
Only authenticated users can join meeting – OFF (students may not be authenticated users)
Require a password when scheduling new meetings – ON
Mute participants upon entry – ON
Private chat – OFF
Auto saving chats – ON
File transfer – OFF – so no unwanted content can be shared in the meeting chat.
Screen sharing – Who can share? Host only
Disable desktop/screenshare for users – ON
Annotation – OFF – so no one can doodle or markup content during the meeting.
Whiteboard – OFF
Remote control – OFF
Virtual background – OFF
Identify guest participants in the meeting – ON
Auto-answer group in chat – OFF
Waiting room – ON
Allow live streaming meetings – OFF
When Scheduling a Meeting…
Generate a unique meeting ID for each meeting. Avoid using your Personal Meeting ID.
Secure the meeting with a passcode
or enable the waiting room. Waiting rooms can be customized to fit the need and audience for your meeting. For more information, visit the Zoom Support website.
Update Zoom
Updated software is secure software. Keep your software updated by regularly performing software upgrades. By updating to the latest version, you will receive security patches and updates to ensure the security of your computer and also your meetings. Visit the Zoom website for instructions on how to update.
Control In-meeting Disruptions
Once a meeting has started, there are 5 types of potential Zoom interruptions, and ways to manage each of them.
Audio interruptions– unmuting and speaking to class.
Solution: Press Participants, then Mute All. On the pop-up, uncheck “Allow participants to unmute themselves”Video interruptions– showing inappropriate video or gestures in a live or virtual background
Solution: When detected, press Participants, select the individual, press Stop Video.Chat interruptions– typing something inappropriate or using private chat to harass other students
Solution: Press Chat then the menu (…) on bottom right to manage chat settings.Screen share interruptions– sharing inappropriate content with all attendees
Solution: The default is to only allow the host to share. If a non-host needs to share screen, temporarily make them a co-host then remove the privilege when done sharing.Annotation interruptions– drawing something inappropriate on the screen during a screen share
Solution: If Annotations are enabled during a screen share, under the Security button, uncheck Annotate on Shared Content.You may prevent unwanted late-comers from joining the meeting by locking it. Lock the meeting. When you lock a Zoom meeting after is has started, no new participants can join, even if they have the meeting ID and password.
Finally, you can Remove unwanted or disruptive participants. From the participants menu, you can mute and remove participants.
In open or closed “presentation” meetings, these settings work well. In open “discussion” meetings, some of these settings are challenging to implement. Knowing how to quickly stop an interruption is essential for Hosts and very often overlooked until after an incident occurs.
Video Tutorials
Zoom 101: Securing Your Meetings & Virtual Classrooms
How to Protect Your Zoom Meeting From Trolls
Learn More
Additional tips to prevent ZoomBombing are available on Zoom’s website.