Zoom Activates Waiting Rooms and Passwords to Combat Trolling Attacks
Zoom forces passwords and enables waiting rooms by default for all users to stop "Zoombombing" attacks. The platform struggles to secure its rapidly expanding user base amidst the pandemic.
Zoom implements major security changes to stop "Zoombombing" as malicious actors continue to disrupt public video calls with offensive imagery, hate speech, and profanity. Starting April 5th, the platform requires passwords for all meetings joined via Meeting ID to prevent uninvited guests from guessing or reusing links to infiltrate chats.
The company also turns on virtual waiting rooms by default for all users, forcing hosts to manually admit attendees before they enter the call. This expansion of security measures follows an initial policy that only applied waiting rooms to K-12 education users, which Zoom ultimately determines is insufficient to protect vulnerable meetings like children's online classes and support groups.
These updates highlight the challenges Zoom faces as its daily user count surges from 10 million to 200 million in just one month due to coronavirus shelter-in-place orders. While the new passwords and waiting rooms add extra steps for hosts and attendees, the precautions aim to restore safety on a platform originally built for trusted enterprise environments rather than massive public gatherings.