Zoom have been plagued with exploits since the beginning of lock down and as a company we have put a ban on Zoom because of the original exploits that were found with the software and the severity of the exploits.

 

Zoom has made multiple efforts to resolve these issues and with the latest updates we have seen to Zoom most of the holes have been patched, however ourselves and other security experts are still concerned with the small print in which you use Zoom and the access Zoom has to your data.

 

However we are completely aware that despite all of the press around Zoom's security and " Zoom bombing"  as the term has now been coined there are a few things below that you can do to still use Zoom and mitigate the risks while using it;

 

- Join Zoom meetings through your web browser rather than using the Zoom desktop software. The web browser version gets security enhancements faster.

 

-When you click a link to join a meeting, your browser will open a new tab and prompt you to use or install the Zoom desktop software. But in the fine print, there's a link to "join from your browser." Click that instead.

 

-If you are hosting a Zoom meeting, ask that meeting participants sign in with a password. That will make Zoom-bombing much less likely.

 

-Set up two-factor authentication for your Zoom account. Once again, here's how.

 

We also recommend that teachers use one of the DFE education approved platforms such as  Google Meet ( Part of the G Suite ) or Microsoft Teams ( Part of O365) when using video conferencing for pupils for distance learning or blended learning. These are secure and approved for this use.