Zoom a Lifeline during Lockdown But with Security & Privacy Risks

Overview

Within this time of lockdown, when we are adjusting to new ways of life both professionally and personally, online communication tools have become our lifeline. One such tool is video conferencing application, Zoom, which has proved to be very useful for conducting meetings, conferences and webinars. While it has made our life convenient, it also presents privacy and security risks, which must be paid attention to. This Viewpoint Paper highlights the problems of ëZoombombingí, lacunae with data collection and sharing protocols within Zoomís privacy policy, and risk of information intercept without end to end encryption. Considering these risks and the utility of Zoom in the current times, the paper gives practical recommendations for participants and hosts of the meetings to utilize Zoomís features in a way that these risks are minimized. It also suggests Zoom to revamp its privacy policy and incorporate additional features to make Zoomís experience more user and privacy friendly.