Zoombombing: oops, there is an intruder in my videoconference
Zoombombing is a real intrusion by people you don't know in your video calls on the work or friendship web. They can be completely random of course, but the presence of these intruders can irritate you as when you realize you are attracting the wrong people around you. If you've wondered why it always happens to you, watch this video to find all the answers and understand how to avoid it!
What is Zoombombing, the disturbance of videoconferencing on Zoom
With the pandemic and the lockdown due to Covid, video calls have become even more on the agenda, in our new normal. There are many apps to facilitate video calls, one of these, perhaps the best known is Zoom, the platform used both for business meetings and for videolessons of professors and also to keep in touch with distant friends and relatives. From February to March 2020 the Zoom app had a real boom in downloads (1000% more!). Naturally, the video calls on Zoom have multiplied dramatically as well as a Zoom problem, the "Zoombombing", that is the phenomenon whereby intruders peep out in meetings, lessons and video calls with silly and ridiculous messages but sometimes also pornographic or racist that sometimes turn into real attacks. In the US, episodes of Zoombombing are so frequent that even the FBI urges users to report immediately when it happens. It is a criminal offense not to be underestimated, punishable even with jail! Zoombombing originated from a small Zoom flaw. In fact, on the Zoom video call app you can make a video call by clicking on a link. If the link is passed between friends and relatives or colleagues by e-mail or text message, there is no problem. Sometimes, however, the links are placed on websites or social networks, this means that they can also reach the hands of malicious people. Think about how many events that took place in presence due to Covid were organized online: these are big events and therefore let's talk now about very broad video calls. The links were shared on social networks to reach many people and so intrusions could happen, well beyond the joke. We are talking about users ready to offend and denigrate other participants with racist messages or explicitly pornographic content.
The episodes of Zoombombing really spare no one, religious encounters, remote cultural events and even online meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous. Unexpected interruptions during a virtual meeting have become so frequent that they almost don't surprise anymore!
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But how does Zoombombing happen? Speak with confidence!
When an intruder appears, he can safely be removed by the organizers of video calls or events on Zoom. But if there are many intruders and sequentially eliminating them all can be complex and still takes time. These attacks are well researched and often follow controversy on social networks to offend and threaten certain groups of people. Before sharing a Zoom link on social media even if it is an absolutely typical event, such as a video lesson, it is better to pay close attention. The risk of finding yourself in front of an intruder who perhaps offends or strips or spreads racist and explicit content is really high.
In a recent survey, the New York Times highlighted dozens and dozens of accounts of various social networks (from Instagram to Twitter to Reddit) of users accustomed to Zoombombing, ready to interrupt chats, calls and video lessons. Obviously, the administrators of the various social networks have also declared war on the video call jammers and threaten to ban them.
Zoombombing: Innocent Joke or Serious Offense?
Surely there are users who do zoombombing to joke, a bit "like when as a kid you found yourself making silly phone pranks to friends and strangers. The goliardic intent behind these initiatives hides the boredom of the moment and the desire for a little girl. transgression to rebel against routine. Those who do zoombombing as a joke of course do not offend, do not use inappropriate phrases or pornographic content. He just disturbs, breaking in innocently. Lots of guys joke like this, share funny gifs, memes or content from Tik Tok. It's a little challenge to be funny, to interrupt someone by doing something funny, from a grimace to a "memorable apparition that ends with a smile for everyone! But many zoombombings have very different intentions: in this case it is mainly adults who put themselves in the game. "agreement on social networks to stop events and video conferences on Zoom. To agree, many use a platform dedicated to game lovers, Discord. Here zoombombing enthusiasts organize themselves in detail, search for codes and choose the victims of their attacks, from a small gathering to an international meeting. Even the managers of Discord, who are not associated with such behavior, have declared war on Zoombombing. By continuing to read this article, you will discover how to secure your Zoom and secure your videoconference!
How to protect yourself from Zoombombing when using the Zoom platform
There are some good tips to follow to avoid finding yourself with an intruder in your video call. First of all, when you are on Zoom you always choose to organize private conferences. This way you can control the access of everyone who enters. And access can also be regulated by a password, so you avoid intruders and surprises. When you share the access link then never do it on social networks, a post is not a wise choice, much better the email.
Then remember that Zoom allows you to prevent those who participate from sharing their screen: it is important to observe all the settings that this app makes available to you to choose what is right for you by carefully selecting the parameters. Finally, last anti Zoombombing tip: use and make all participants and your contacts use only the most updated version of Zoom because some old versions provided the possibility of finding random encounters to join, thus facilitating the episodes of Zoombombing!
