As each day pass, more people are infected with the Coronavirus pandemic leading to forced quarantine of the entire public through the Social distancing order which in turn had forced businesses to pause operation while events are being cancelled out.
But as things gets by, there is need for people to communicate as businesses move to operate online. Aside Google, one other company that’s been thriving in this pandemic era is Zoom, the video conferencing platform meanwhile despite it’s popularity comes its downside which is issue with security as well as privacy concerns.
Despite this, there are vital benefits to using the software, especially during the pandemic. Better still, the company has recognized its growing popularity and has been quickly addressing many of the concerns.
But first let’s examine a number of things about the platform such as it’s purpose, and then issues facing it and how you can go about the platform.
So what’s Zoom anyway?
Zoom is a remote conferencing service that is available at both enterprise and individual level. The company was created by a former Cisco Systems engineer, Eric Yuan. Though launched way back since 2011, Zoom had continuously grow into a massive platform and with the coronavirus pandemic, the platform now boast some 200 Million active users over it’s initial 10 million back in December.
Zoom allows for a much better user experience and it’s reliability is part of what sets it aside from others such as the Cisco Webex, Adobe Connect, GoToWebinar and a host of other conferencing platforms.
That, along with its zero cost for video chats of up to 100 participants, has almost certainly led to its popularity. In mid-March, even before the pandemic spread nearly everywhere, Zoom use had grown over 67 percent since the beginning of the year, according to Apptopia, a mobile intelligence company.
Is Zoom for you?
Source: Zoom
Basically this is a service that anyone can use meanwhile many companies have also employed the service considering the fact that many of these companies have been sent online and there is need for constant meeting and so forth.
Aside that, Zoom is also useful for educational purposes as schools are also now operating on the internet. Coast to coast, schools, including universities, have been forced to cancel classes or move them online.
In an effort to bring more users to the platform, the company cancelled the 40 minute time limit on its free Basic accounts for Primary and secondary schools.
And aside that, there have also been surge in the demographics of users of the platform ranging from Retirees to Millennials and Gen Z. Also, events like Zoom Blind Dates, Zoom Recess, and Zoom Parties have seen a spike in popularity.
So lets’s talk about the issues with Zoom
Zoom, just like any other platform has its own share of controversies and problems which essentially is privacy and security issues. Because of it’s sudden surge to mainstream, many third-party security services have been able to detect loopholes in the service.
Meanwhile as issues arise, Zoom is quick at fixing them as the company prioritize more on bug fixes and security patches rather than the growth of the platform itself. On April 1, Yuan said the company would enact a “feature freeze” for 90 days to focus on “trust, safety, and privacy issues.”
One of the good changes made on the platform is the permanent removal of an attendee attention tracker feature which can alert company hosts whenever a participant was nodding or not paying enough attention to the conversion.
Another concern is “Zoombombing” whereby some uninvited guests bashes into the conversation most of which are trollers who come to perform vile acts.
What you should know
There is no 100% perfect software anywhere in terms of security meanwhile, as a user of the platform, there are a number of things you can do which can ensure a more secure experience on Zoom. While there a couple of fixes you your own end, the most important is to have the latest software installed on your device. In the past four weeks alone, for example, Zoom has released five iOS app updates. The company has also recently added security to its macOS install.
Another important security measure to take is with the sharing of meeting passwords and IDs which should be done only securely through encrypted channels.
Taking advantage of new security options, such as the recently introduced Waiting Room feature is also helpful. The feature allows the host to screen everyone before allowing them to enter a meeting.
But there are always alternatives
Despite Zoom seemingly gaining momentum, there are still a number of perfect video conferencing platform out there to help you abide by the Social distancing regulations.
Meanwhile, if Zoom is your choice and your perfect match, there is nothing wrong with that just ensure to make use of the necessary security measures to ensure you are safe on the platform at all times.
