Community reminded of Zoom safety tips

      Remaining vigilant about settings to ward off unwanted disruptions is best practice

      For more information on computer security, please visit the Office of Information Security website. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

      UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State students, faculty and staff are reminded that numerous tools are available to help secure Zoom meetings as the University continues to offer hybrid work and class arrangements.

      To help secure Zoom meetings, individuals should not share the meeting password. Additionally, to discourage unwanted guests from joining a Zoom meeting, it is strongly recommended that individuals do not post meeting links on social media platforms and other online sites.    

      “Zoom safety should always be on the forefront of our community’s mind,” said Richard Sparrow, Penn State’s interim chief information security officer. “We have been working in a remote and hybrid format for over a year, however, we must remain vigilant to prevent unwanted actions or disruptions in our classes, meetings and more.”

      A list of tips and settings to help prevent unwanted actions by participants is available, and includes actions to help prevent unwanted participants from entering a Zoom meeting, such as:

      • Using a waiting room to review participants;
      • Allowing only authenticated users to join;  
      • Limiting screen sharing; and  
      • Recording the meeting.  

      The University also has provided guidance to all faculty and instructors on how to handle disruptions in remote classes at its Remote Teaching website. Tech TAs are available to assist faculty, and Tech Tutors also are offering one-on-one consultations to provide additional technical support for staff and students.

      For more information, check out the following Knowledge Base articles: 

      University officials emphasize that any incidents of Zoom-bombing should be reported to University Police immediately, and that offenders could face charges for unlawful use of a computer, harassment and disorderly conduct, among other charges. In addition, Penn State Counseling and Psychological Services is available to help support students who may be impacted by Zoom-bombings at virtual events.

      Questions also can be answered by contacting the IT Service Desk or by calling 814-865-HELP.

       

      Last Updated November 24, 2021

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