As the majority of meetings have moved to online platforms, Iowa Attorney General, Tom Miller, urges Iowans to protect themselves from hackers. He says “Zoom-bombing” and other security breaches are possible as video conferencing becomes more common during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other authorities are receiving multiple reports of video conferences being disrupted by pornographic or hate images and threatening language. Miller says his office utilizes Zoom and they are continually monitoring their situation. “We would like to know more how software companies are dealing with security and privacy questions surrounding education, telehealth and other applications,” Miller adds. He is offering 10 tips to protect your communications starting with reading recommendations on the appropriate privacy settings and shopping around for the software that fits your needs while secure enough for any confidential information. Ensure all users are updated with the latest software versions, require passwords to enter meetings and do not share IDs, passwords or meeting links via social media. Everyone is cautioned to not click on any meeting links from unknown senders and to use waiting rooms and other similar features to prescreen guests before they are allowed to join. The host should adjust settings to control sharing of the screen and everyone should assume everything is being recorded. Finally, beware of sharing screenshots or video chats publicly; these communications may contain sensitive meeting materials or personal information. If you are a victim of a cyber crime, it should be reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
