Better Zoom and Google Meet Security Posted on November 15th, 2021 by Jerry Nowell

There are a number of precautions you can take to ensure the privacy and security of your Zoom and Google Meet virtual meetings.

1. Don’t publicize your Zoom or Google Meet links where others may view and access them. Disseminate your links securely through direct invitations, or by using documents and web pages that require authentication.
2. Avoid using Zoom’s personal rooms except with people you meet with regularly. These persistent spaces, once discovered, can be difficult to keep secure.
3. Zoom can be set up to restrict access to Gustavus users only (see instructions below). This one requirement offers substantial peace of mind by offering assurance that attendees are authenticated members of the community.
4. Google Meet will not allow anonymous users to join virtual meetings, and those without invites need host approval to join. Using Google Calendar to schedule meetings and invite potential attendees can eliminate a lot of security concerns.

For both Zoom and Google Meet, we recommend strictly enforcing the use of authenticated Gustavus accounts. If an attendee has difficulty accessing your virtual meeting, try to troubleshoot their issue over Google Chat, or by phone. If you don’t recognize them, the best policy is to decline their attempts to join your session. 

Zoom Authentication Options

Require authentication for all of your Zoom meetings

To enable or disable “Only authenticated users can join meetings” for your own use (all newly created meetings you own):

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal (https://hellogustavus.zoom.us/)
2. In the navigation menu, click “Settings.”
3. Click the “Meeting” tab.
4. Under “Security,” click the “Only authenticated users can join meetings” toggle to enable or disable it.
5. If a verification dialog appears, click “Enable” or “Disable” to verify the change.

Require authentication for a new meeting

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal. (https://hellogustavus.zoom.us/)
2. Schedule a meeting or webinar. 
3. Under “Meeting Options” or “Webinar Options,” click “Require authentication to join.”
4. Choose “Gustavus” as the authentication profile from the drop-down menu.

Change authentication on an existing meeting or webinar

1. Sign in to the Zoom Web portal.   (https://hellogustavus.zoom.us/)
2. Select “Meetings,” then choose “Edit” for the meeting you wish to change.
3. Under the “Security” section toggle of “Settings,” select “Only authenticated users can join meetings.”
4. Choose “Gustavus” as the authentication profile from the drop-down menu.

Creating an authentication-required meeting from Google Calendar

1. Sign in to Google Calendar.
2. Create a calendar event and add a Zoom meeting to the event.
3. Open the Zoom for G Suite Tool on the right side of the calendar (you must allow the tool to access your Gustavus account).
4. Toggle on the “Only signed in users can join” and select “Gustavus” as the authentication method.
5. Click “Update Meeting” and “Save” the meeting details.

For more information on requiring authentication for Zoom:

https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/4406604615693-Requiring-authentication-to-join-a-meeting-or-webinar

For more information on signing into Zoom:

https://gustavus.edu/gts/Zoom#Sign_Into_Zoom

For more information on Zoom security and privacy:

https://explore.zoom.us/docs/ent/privacy-and-security.html

For more information on Google Meet security and privacy:

https://support.google.com/meet/answer/9852160?hl=en#zippy=%2Csafety-best-practices

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Email: helpline@gustavus.edu
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