Zoom had promised a block on updates with features lasting 90 days to solve the privacy and security problems that have emerged in recent weeks, and the company showing a great desire to improve the service. The company is distributing a new update the video call app designed to answer some of the many complaints that erupted during isolation for the new coronavirus. With the new update, an icon has been introduced that groups a series of useful functions for protect privacy and security for users.
Through the new screen it is possible for example quickly block access to new users to meetings, remove participants, limit screen sharing and chats in general. Zoom now also enables passwords as the default for most users, and IT administrators can define the complexity of passwords for corporate users of the online video conferencing application. Zoom's waiting room feature is now enabled by default on all basic, single-licensed, and educational accounts.
The waiting room, specifically, allows new users who request to participate in the meeting to be left in a virtual space, allowing them access only after the administrators have confirmed it. Many of the changes are in response to the phenomenon that has been defined "Zoombombing", in which unwanted users managed to break into video conferences by broadcasting unsightly videos. The previous defaults did not suggest setting a password and allowed everyone to share their screen.
With the update Zoom also introduces the support of AES 256-bit GCM cryptographic standardby strengthening the protection of data transmitted in meetings. This is not yet the end-to-end encryption that Zoom had mistakenly claimed to have implemented, but it is an improvement for the security of the data exchanged within the sessions. Corporate customers can also choose the data center that manages meeting traffic, a change designed to address concerns about the use of Chinese servers for some video conferences held elsewhere.
Zoom is rapidly responding to the problems that have arisen in recent weeks following the boom in visibility gained from the coronavirus pandemic. The app recorded peaks of 10 million daily users in December, while in March there were peaks of over 200 million users as well. Extra users who have discovered several vulnerabilities, some quite naive. The app needs further finishing, that's for sure, but Zoom CEO Eric S. Yuan had promised improvements about 20 days ago, and these are starting to arrive.
