Please check the update notes on the Zoom website for details about the October upgrade!
Monthly Archives: October 2020
Zoom and Twitter: Meeting security refresher
Recently, IT administrators have been receiving notices about Zoom meetings that have been posted to Twitter. Social media is a great way to advertise your event! We do want to caution you, however, that if you are going to post the meeting link publicly, you make sure to take a second to take a look at the security settings.
You probably know why we make this caution: “Zoom Bombings” have become a problem both locally and nationally. Troublemakers have shown their stripes, and we need to be vigilant about keeping disruptions out.
It is strongly recommended that you enable the following settings to reduce the risk of a malicious meeting interruption:
Please also change meetings to requiring “authenticated users only.”
To enable this setting when creating a meeting:
- Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
- Schedule a meeting or webinar.
- Under Meeting Options or Webinar Options, click Only authenticated users can join.
- Choose Sign in as MiamiOH.edu user.
Please also visit our new and improved security site for web conferencing tools. The site includes much more information about both Webex and Zoom security options.
Stay safe out there, folks!
Cross-promotion: Engaging a dual audience
We know you’re using Zoom and Webex to engage with students, coworkers, and even family members during these interesting times. The “new normal” is giving us all an opportunity to be flexible and learn new ways to communicate with one another.
For instructors, it’s integral to use the tools available to their fullest capacity — because students are attending classes and doing work in various ways. In light of that, the Miami Online group is offering a virtual event this coming Thursday to help guide faculty members who need more resources for their hybrid classes.
From the events page:
In this session, we’ll explore ways to optimize teaching and learning for your students regardless of location and chosen mode of participation. Connect with us on Thursday, October 15, at 3pm.
You will need to register to see the meeting invite on your calendar.
‘Break’ing news: Breakout rooms now available in Webex!
You heard it here first, folks: Breakout Rooms are available in Webex.
Assign small groups and then bring them back to the larger group when you want. This capability has been available in Zoom, but you can now use them in Webex too.
Watch this corny video from ExplaiNerds for a walkthrough of how to use Breakout Rooms.
Zoom and Webex security: What you can do
We continue to hear stories, both locally and nationally, about unwanted visitors “bombing” web conferencing (Zoom, Webex, etc.) meetings and events. This behavior can be extremely disruptive to the meetings, and in some cases, even illegal.
Many of the same security recommendations apply to Zoom, Webex, and Google Meet as are used for other online applications. In order to keep uninvited guests from disrupting class gatherings and meetings, we have gathered some tips to keep in mind for Zooming safely and responsibly.
Please read the full list of recommendations on the IT News site.