Microsoft Teams is the University’s approved tool for video conferencing, however, during the Covid-19 crisis there has been a demand for Zoom. Guidance on the exceptional circumstances in which Zoom may be used for video conferencing was published by the University on 31th March 2020.
Unfortunately, Zoom comes with a level of security and privacy risk such as the rise in ‘Zoom-bombing’, but there are steps that can be taken to reduce the risk such as:
Password protection.
Random meeting IDs.
Locking down meetings when participants have joined.
Avoiding file and screen sharing.
Above all, think about the sensitivity of the meeting and if content or knowledge of participants is confidential, Zoom should be avoided.
Useful advice on securing your Zoom meetings has been published by ZDNet. The Oxford Science blog also reports on guidance developed by Oxford academic Professor Dutton and his team on policy and procedures in the use of Zoom in the education sector.
