Zoom Security Options

Overview

This knowledge base article explains the three security options in Zoom. Meeting hosts will be required to use one of the following security options for ALL meetings: Passcode, Waiting Room, or Only authenticated users can join meetings. These options help provide additional protection and privacy for your meetings and help prevent uninvited guests from joining.

If no security option is enabled, your security setting will default to Only authenticated users can join meetings. Note that this is the safest, and therefore the preferred option, since everyone must sign in using UI credentials unless listed as an exception.

• Passcode​​​​​​
• Waiting Room
• Only authenticated users can join meetings
• Choose a default security option for Personal Meeting Room
• Choosing a default security option for all automatically generated meetings
• Using multiple security options
• Recommendations for security in a UI Cisco Codec room
• Security options after a meeting has begun

Passcode

1. When scheduling a meeting, select the Passcode option under security. If desired, you can change the auto-generated passcode. If you are using a video conferencing room with a UI Cisco Codec, keep in mind that only numeric passcodes can be entered. Note that the security in this option is limited in that anyone could share both the meeting link and the passcode to allow others into the meeting.

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Waiting Room

1. When scheduling a meeting, select the Waiting Room option under security. Note that only hosts, alternative hosts, and co-hosts can admit participants who are in the waiting room. DO NOT use the Waiting Room option if you are using a video conferencing room with a UI Cisco Codec.
2. Notifications will pop up at the top of your Zoom screen when participants are in the waiting room.  To better manage the waiting room, click Participants.  You can then see a list of participants waiting to enter and click to Admit or Remove them. 
3. You can also select Admit All to allow all participants to enter at one time.  Note that you will still need to admit any participants that try to join after admitting all.
4. Keep in mind that this security feature is completely controlled by hosts, alternative hosts, and co-hosts who should check the waiting room list against a course list or meeting attendee list in order to keep uninvited guests out.

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Only Authenticated Users can Join Meetings

1. When scheduling a meeting, select Require authentication to join. This is the preferred security option because all users must log in through their UI accounts in order to join.  Note that you can also set authentication exceptions for guests outside of the university. 
2. To allow guests without UI accounts, click Add next to Authentication Exception. 
3. Enter the full name and email of the guest participant.
4. Click Add Participant for additional participants.
5. Click Save.
6. If you have multiple participants often connecting from the same domain, you can click Edit under the box to add a domain to the list.  DO NOT use this feature for entering domains that are open to anyone to create an account such as gmail.com.

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Choosing a Default Security Option for Personal Meeting Room

1. Sign in to your Zoom account at https://zoom.uidaho.edu.
2. Click the Meetings tab in the left-hand column.
3. Click Personal Room in the top menu.
4. Click Edit at the bottom. 
5. Select the security option you want to use for all meetings in your personal meeting room.
6. Click Save. 
7. You can also set your personal meeting room preference when scheduling a meeting.
8. When scheduling a meeting, click Personal Meeting ID under Meeting ID.
9. Select the security option you want to use for your Personal Meeting Room.
10. Note that the security option you choose will be the default for all meetings in your Personal Meeting Room. If you do not choose a security option, the security option for your personal meeting room will default to Waiting Room.

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Choosing a Default Security Option for all Automatically Generated Meetings

1. Sign in to your Zoom account at https://zoom.uidaho.edu.
2. Click on the Settings tab in the left-hand column.
3. Under Meeting Security, you will see the security options and can turn on the one you want to use for all meetings. Note that even if you choose a default option here, you can change the option when scheduling a meeting. You are also able to turn on more than one option.
4. Though there is only one option for Waiting Room or Only authenticated users can join meetings, there are several Passcode options. If Passcode is your preference, you may want to explore the many options. 

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Using Multiple Security Options

You are able to use more than one security option. For instance, many users prefer the Waiting Room to see the list prior to entry and note late arrivals, etc., but they may want to add another layer of security. Waiting Room is often paired with Passcode or Only authenticated users can join. 

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Recommendations for Security in a UI Cisco Codec Room

We recommend using Only authenticated users can join as the security option for those using a UI Cisco Codec Room. In this case, the host does not need to do anything to allow participants to enter.

The second-best option for these rooms is Passcode.  Note that the passcode must be numerical. Once the host connects to the meeting, she will be prompted to enter the passcode.

We DO NOT recommend using the Waiting Room option in UI Cisco Codec rooms.  If you choose the Waiting Room option, we suggest you admit participants to the meeting by connecting to your meeting on another device. Otherwise, there are several steps to admitting participants via the codec:

1. After entering the meeting on the Cisco Codec, you must enter your host key followed by #.  Note that your host key can be found in your profile when you sign in to your account at https://zoom.uidaho.edu.
2. Select the keypad
3. Click 1 to view the Menu
4. Click 6 to Show Participants
5. Click 1 to Go to Waiting Room (and then click 0 to Admit All) OR Click 0 to Admit All

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Security options after a meeting has begun

The host, alternative host, and co-host have security options to keep in mind once a meeting has begun in case they need to deal with an incident during the meeting.

1. Click on the Security icon within a meeting if a situation arises.
2. Click Suspend Participant Activities to disable audio, video, and screen sharing abilities for ALL participants.
3. Click Remove to select participants that you would like to remove from the meeting.  
4. The participants tab will appear to the right, and you can click Remove next to any participants that you want out of the meeting. 
5. A message will appear that requires you to verify removing the participant.  Once a participant is removed, they will be unable to rejoin the meeting.
6. For more information on all options under the Security icon, see https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0061231&mobile_site=true.

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