Zoom: Security and Privacy

Protect your meetings by using Zoom's security settings. This article is presented in two sections:

• Security settings required for all meetings
• Security features to use before and during a meeting, and when managing recordings.

For complete Zoom instructions, visit support.zoom.us.

Important: Avoid publishing meeting links on public web sites.

Security Settings Required for All Meetings

Duke Zoom users are required to have one of the following three security settings enabled for meetings:

• Passcode
• Require participants to authenticate (participants must log in -- authenticate -- to their Zoom account)
• Waiting room

Note: If you don't select a security setting, the waiting room will automatically be enabled. 

To secure your meetings, enable security settings for all new meetings and require a passcode for your personal meeting ID.

Enable a security setting on all new meetings. Do the following:

1. Visit duke.zoom.us and log in with your NetID and password (or from the Zoom desktop client Home screen, click Settings (gear icon) --> View More Settings).
2. Select Settings.
3. Under Security, enable any or all of the following: Waiting Room, Require a passcode when scheduling new meetings, and/or Only authenticated users can join meetings. A confirmation message appears.

Personal Meeting ID (PMI)

To require a passcode for your personal meeting room, do the following:

1. Visit duke.zoom.us and log in with your NetID and password.
2. Select Meetings.
3. Click Personal Room.
4. Click Edit.
5. Under Security, click to select Passcode. A passcode is displayed. You may change the passcode to suit your desires.
6. Click Save.

Note: This setting affects any already-scheduled meetings as well as any new meetings using your Personal Room. For already-scheduled meetings, advise participants of the passcode. 

Requiring authenticated users

The setting “Only authenticated users can join" allows the host to restrict participants to users logged in to a Zoom account, and prevents participants from joining as anonymous guests. See instructions below.

The setting is useful if you want to restrict your participants to verified users. If a participant does not have a Zoom account or has not logged into Zoom, they will not be able to join the meeting. 

Note: Anyone can sign up for a free Zoom account, and all Duke students, faculty, and staff are eligible to have a Zoom enterprise account (available at https://duke.zoom.us). 

 When scheduling or editing a meeting, enable the feature to restrict it to authenticated users.

1. Visit duke.zoom.us and log in with your NetID and password.
2. Under Security, select Require authentication to join.
3. Select either Sign in to Zoom (to allow any authenticated user to join), or Zoom accounts with a Duke-associated email address (to allow only Duke users)

Security Features

Use the features below to ensure your meetings and recordings are secure.

Scheduling Secure Meetings

• Generate meeting ID automatically -– Unique meeting IDs expire 30 days after the meeting has occurred, and provide protection if a meeting ID is shared accidentally.
• Require meeting passcode -– Zoom requires all meetings to have a passcode or a waiting room enabled. If you do not have a passcode associated with a meeting, the waiting room will be enabled.
• Enable waiting room –- View attendees before admitting them to the meeting. For large classes or conferences, consider assigning this job to a co-host. Enable the waiting room during a meeting via the Security button.
• Only authenticated Duke users can join -– Only Duke Zoom users can join your meeting. Important: Many Duke users do not have a Zoom account, have one with a non-Duke email address, or are not authenticated in the Zoom client. To ensure the desired participants can join your meeting, use this setting carefully.
• For large meetings with non-Duke participants: 
  
  • Use the Registration feature to require attendees to register for your meeting. This sends the meeting invitation details in a confirmation email to the participant and each participant has a unique link to join.
  • Under Meeting Options, select Require authentication to join. This prevents participants from joining as guests.

Securing Meetings In Progress

• Make use of the "Security" button -- Use Lock Meeting to prevent additional participants from joining, and Enable Waiting Room to admit participants. Select whether participants can Share Screen, Chat, Rename Themselves, Unmute Themselves, and Start Video.
• Mute all -– Select Participants to Mute All in the pane that opens. When all participants are muted, suggest using chat. For large meetings, consider having a co-host moderate the chat.
• Control the chat -– In the Chat pane under "...", select who the participants can chat with (no one, host only, or everyone). For larger meetings, hosts may want to structure the Chat function to direct questions to a designated host only. 
• Disable annotation -- When screen sharing, select More to prevent participants from annotating the screen.
• Remove unwanted participants -- In the Participant pane, beside the desired name, select More -> Remove. 
• Report participant -- If a participant is offensive or otherwise attempts to disrupt your meeting, you may report them to Zoom Support. Under Security, select Report. This option is also available beside the individual's name in the Participants pane.

Securely Recording Meetings

Do not record sensitive information or include it in a meeting title/description. When recording, do the following: 

• Advise participants that they will be recorded.
• Record the active speaker, not Gallery view. See Recording Layouts for details.
• Spotlight video to lock the active speaker to the presenter and uncheck ‘Display participants’ names in the recording.
• Do not discuss protected health information (PHI).

Securing Recordings

To secure your recordings when you share them, do the following:

• Protect recordings with a password
• Enable only authenticated Duke users to view, if possible
• Prevent downloads

If you want even more control over your recordings, consider using Panopto or other video sharing services.

For more information about privacy with Zoom meetings, check out the Duke Zoom terms of service.