How To Keep Your Zoom Sessions Secure

When appropriate, require participants to authenticate before joining your meeting.

For meetings intended only for CSUN participants, authentication can help identify users and restrict access to the intended audience.

Use a Waiting Room

A waiting room allows the host or co-host to control when participants enter the meeting.

Consider using a waiting room when:

• you need to verify participants before admitting them;
• participants should be admitted individually;
• you are holding office hours or other one-on-one meetings;
• the meeting involves confidential or sensitive discussions; or
• additional control over meeting access is needed.

Review participant names before admitting users you do not recognize.

Use a Meeting Passcode

A meeting passcode provides another layer of protection against unauthorized access.

Do not post restricted meeting links or passcodes on publicly accessible websites, social media, public calendars, or other unrestricted locations.

Set screen sharing to Host Only by default.

If participants need to present or collaborate:

1. Confirm that the participant is ready to present.
2. Temporarily allow participant screen sharing.
3. Return screen sharing to Host Only when the activity is complete.

Restrict annotation unless participants need it for the activity.

Before your meeting begins, review whether participants need access to:

• screen sharing;
• annotation;
• chat;
• file sharing;
• microphones; and
• video.

Enable only the features needed for the meeting.

Treat your Zoom meeting link as access information.

For classes, share meeting information through Canvas whenever possible.

For other university meetings, send meeting information directly to the intended participants or use an appropriate restricted CSUN system.

Avoid posting restricted meeting information on:

• publicly accessible webpages;
• social media;
• public calendars;
• public discussion boards; or
• other unrestricted online locations.

If a meeting is intentionally open to the public, use security controls appropriate for a public event.

Decide whether the meeting needs to be recorded before it begins.

If you record a meeting:

• notify participants that recording is taking place;
• record only what is necessary;
• review who should have access to the recording;
• use Zoom cloud recording when appropriate so the recording can be automatically imported into Panopto; and
• use Panopto to manage and share the finished recording.

Do not distribute restricted recordings using publicly accessible links.

Learn about Panopto at CSUN

Keep the Participants panel available when you need to monitor attendance or participant activity.

As a host or co-host, use Zoom controls as needed to:

• mute participants;
• stop participant video;
• restrict participant activities; and
• remove unwanted participants.

If an Unauthorized or Disruptive Participant Joins

1. Stop inappropriate screen sharing, audio, video, or chat activity.
2. Restrict participant permissions as needed.
3. Remove the participant.
4. Verify that your meeting security settings are still appropriate.
5. Continue when the meeting is secure.

If unexpected or inappropriate content is shared:

1. Stop the participant's screen sharing.
2. Set screen sharing back to Host Only.
3. Identify the participant responsible.
4. Remove the participant if necessary.
5. Review participant permissions before continuing.

You can temporarily enable participant screen sharing again when legitimate collaboration requires it.

Manage Chat and Other Activities

If a meeting becomes disruptive, restrict the affected participant activities before continuing.

For meetings requiring greater control, configure these restrictions before participants join.

Use Panopto to manage and share Zoom recordings.

With Zoom Cloud Recording enabled, meetings are automatically imported into Panopto.

When sharing a recording:

• use Panopto to share the recording;
• limit access to the intended audience;
• review sharing permissions;
• review and correct automatic captions as needed for accessibility; and
• remove recordings when they are no longer needed in accordance with applicable university requirements.

Learn about Panopto at CSUN

If your meeting was disrupted, review its security settings before holding the meeting again.

Consider whether you should:

• require authentication;
• enable a waiting room;
• change the meeting passcode;
• use a different meeting link;
• change how meeting information is distributed;
• further restrict participant permissions; or
• contact the IT Help Center.

For assistance with a Zoom security issue, contact the IT Help Center.

Submit an IT Help Center request