If you are using Zoom to make video calls, do use the following advice to keep yourself and your attendees safer.
Setting up the meeting
- Ensure you generate an auto ID – don’t use your default session ID based on your username
- Include a password
- Enable a waiting room (more advanced)
- Mute participants on entry (more advanced)
In-call functions
Don’t ‘admit all’ when attendees join, message people you don’t recognise using the chat box.
Become familiar with the Zoom security settings tab within the call:
- Uncheck ‘allow others to share screens’ (you can always switch this back on if needed)
- Lock the meeting once everyone is in the session
- Use a virtual background to hide your background surroundings
Other options:
- Disable participant chat
- Disable renaming of participants
Want to know when someone joins or leaves the session? Click ‘participants’ → followed by ‘…’ (in the bottom right hand corner) → and then check ‘play enter/exit chime’.
If you are suspicious of an attendee you can remove them from the meeting – click on the three dots (…) by their name and remove. Once removed they cannot re-enter the call.
If all else fails, know how to end the meeting for everyone. Click ‘end meeting’ and then ‘end meeting for all’.
Other thoughts
- Do not publish screenshots of your meetings as they may reveal meeting IDs and/or passwords, and could violate the privacy of the other participants.
- Do not host public meetings using your personal (private) meeting room.