Zoom Security Tips and Best Practices for Teachers

In the Classroom

Zoom is extremely accessible and easy to use—and, sadly, equally accessible to the “bad guys” in the world. “Zoom-bombing” is the interruption of a Zoom meeting by an uninvited participant who displays pornographic or hate images and language. Following multiple Zoom-bombing incidents in K-12 and university-level virtual meetings held during the COVID-19 pandemic, the FBI issued several security tips for Zoom users:

Do not make your meeting public. Require either a meeting password for entrance OR use Zoom’s waiting room feature to control participant entrance.
Provide the link directly to the specific people who need it. Do not post it publicly.
Change the screensharing option to “host only” so you control what is seen on the screen.
Follow any instructions and guidelines provided by your administration.

In addition to these security tips, ATPE recommends the following best practices:

Use the Zoom virtual background feature to reduce distractions in your background and also to keep others from seeing into your home.
Use the chat feature to facilitate questions.
Encourage online meeting etiquette (keeping yourself on mute, using a virtual or neutral background, etc.).

Zoom has developed a tip sheet for teachers with additional ideas.

This content was adapted from the ATPE Blog, originally posted on March 31, 2020.