Zoom 5.0 update bolsters encryption, adds meeting security features
After a month of criticism, a promised update for Zoom has arrived, introducing stronger encryption plus resolution of a number of past issues with the platform, including "Zoombombing."
Zoom's update Wednesday is an initial step toward in a broader 90-day security plan.
Zoom has been most people's choice for video conferencing during the coronavirus, but has been plagued by privacy and security issues since its boom in popularity. On Wednesday, Zoom said it's fixed some of those issues.
The new Zoom 5.0 update, for example, introduces AES 256-bit GCM encryption, which the company says will offer "increased protection" of data in transit and resistance to tampering.
Previously, Zoom was misleading customers about end-to-end encryption claims. Even though Zoom says its GCM encryption upgrade is better, it's still not claiming that it's end-to-end encrypted.
To combat the so-called "Zoombombing" phenomenon, which involves bad actors joining a meeting they weren't invited to, Zoom has introduced some room control features, such as the ability to remove and ban participants, lock meetings, report users and enable waiting rooms when a meeting is underway.
Other security and privacy features include a new grouped security menu, default password-protected meetings, and the removal of meeting IDs from the Zoom interface so it'll be harder for callers to leak them.
Although originally planned for an April 22 release, the Zoom 5.0 update was delayed until April 29. The company say it's the first milestone in a broader "90-day plan" to revamp the platform's security and private standards.
All users will be required to have GCM encryption and Zoom 5.0 to join meetings on May 30.
Zoom's update Wednesday is an initial step toward in a broader 90-day security plan.
Zoom has been most people's choice for video conferencing during the coronavirus, but has been plagued by privacy and security issues since its boom in popularity. On Wednesday, Zoom said it's fixed some of those issues.
The new Zoom 5.0 update, for example, introduces AES 256-bit GCM encryption, which the company says will offer "increased protection" of data in transit and resistance to tampering.
Previously, Zoom was misleading customers about end-to-end encryption claims. Even though Zoom says its GCM encryption upgrade is better, it's still not claiming that it's end-to-end encrypted.
To combat the so-called "Zoombombing" phenomenon, which involves bad actors joining a meeting they weren't invited to, Zoom has introduced some room control features, such as the ability to remove and ban participants, lock meetings, report users and enable waiting rooms when a meeting is underway.
Other security and privacy features include a new grouped security menu, default password-protected meetings, and the removal of meeting IDs from the Zoom interface so it'll be harder for callers to leak them.
Although originally planned for an April 22 release, the Zoom 5.0 update was delayed until April 29. The company say it's the first milestone in a broader "90-day plan" to revamp the platform's security and private standards.
All users will be required to have GCM encryption and Zoom 5.0 to join meetings on May 30.
Comments
Our household is in the camp of people, which I’m sure there are many of, who “have to” use Zoom in order to connect our child to class. We use it every day during the week. If it wasn’t for that we wouldn’t be using Zoom at all.
Word, Excel, Windows, AutoCAD…
There's no surprise why Zoom became so popular. It is really easy to use and doesn't require registration unlike Skype, WebEx, Facebook/Google/whatever. If you're on a computer, if you don't want to install any software, you can connect via your web browser.
I can't speak for AutoCAD, but to be fair, Word and Excel became standards before they were crappy...
Still not going to install it. Never! Trust in a developer is everything. In a related incident: I’m off Facebook apps for more than a year now, and it’s just fine.
Were they ever good, though? Excel is certainly powerful. Word can be powerful too, but it is hardly the best word processor. I suppose many will argue that Excel is.
But, yeah, industry standards don't often indicate something is best, just compatible, more trained workforce, or maybe some special features a particular industry needs.
Unfortunately, unless you're an independent, you'll have to conform to those standards. If you are independent, using something better can be a secret weapon. Unless someone is utilizing some proprietary features of AutoCAD, for example, I could run circles around them using other CAD apps.
Zoom's popularity is very apparent the first time you use it, and especially if you've lived through the growing pains of other video conferencing apps. It just works and you don't have to be a systems administrator or ubergeek to figure it out. Would I trust it on a mission critical computer? Not yet, until they finish buttoning up its security issues. No problem on VMs, backup machines, Linux machines, Raspberry Pi with webcam, etc.
The rest of the entrenched, moribund, fat-and-happy videoconferencing incumbents just sat around and watched while an upstart company (yet again) walked away with their marbles right in front of their eyes.
I am sticking with the company (and its stock).
Unfortunately, iGlasses also presents itself as a "virtual webcam" as well and is no longer supported by Zoom. My guess is that adding this back in is very low on the list of priorities for Zoom right now, so I'll just have to move my iMac forward a few feet for my calls, or see if I can live with the browser plug-in.
Meh.
It has a number of great features, and seems to be purpose built for things like remote podcast recording, but if you want any kind of security, it's kind of bad.
Zoom is great software. Skype is great for person to person but up to and over 100? Good luck paying for that.