Zoom default options are now more secure — make sure to validate your meeting settings

Concordia’s Zoom default settings are now more secure. As a result, you should validate your own settings to ensure your participants have the access you want.

In April, the university took steps to secure Zoom settings for the Concordia community. Throughout the summer, a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) on the Zoom platform was performed to identify best practices and provide a secure environment for the fall semester.

As a result of this work, on August 28, IITS, in collaboration with CTL, adjusted the default settings for all faculty and staff accounts when setting up new meetings and classes. A complete list of the default settings is available in the Best Practices for Securing Zoom Meetings document. Two key enhancements include:

1.   Requiring a password when scheduling new meetings:

• Create a different password for each new or recurring meeting.
• For staff meetings, you can share the password with your colleagues by email or calendar invite.
• For class meetings, instructors can share the password with students through Moodle so only those enrolled in the course can access the virtual classroom.

2.   Use of the Waiting Room feature:

• Use the Waiting Room to admit invited participants and prevent uninvited or unknown users from entering the meeting.

Zoom meetings scheduled after August 28 will present these options as default. If you would like to adjust or validate your meeting settings, you can log into Concordia’s Zoom Portal:

• Select Sign In and enter your Concordia username and password, if prompted.
• Click on My Meetings.
• Click on the Upcoming tab.
• Select the meeting you want to edit.
• Click on the Edit button.

For more information on customizing your settings in Zoom, visit CTL's Zoom webpages.

For technical assistance with Zoom, visit the Zoom Help Center or contact Concordia’s IT Service Desk. If you require urgent virtual classroom support, IITS technicians are available at 514-848-2424 x 4500.