ITS would like to remind faculty, staff, and students about options in Zoom for preventing uninvited attendees from attending and disrupting a Zoom session. 

Require a password – Using a password for the Zoom meeting ensures that all attendees will be users who were invited to the session. This is especially helpful if non-SIUE attendees will be invited to the session. This option can be enabled when creating a Zoom meeting. 

• Sign in to SIUE Zoom Account
  • This authentication option requires users to enter their SIUE eid and password to join your Zoom session. Non-SIUE attendees will be unable to join the Zoom session. This option can be enabled when creating a Zoom meeting. 
• Sign in to Zoom
  • This authentication option requires users to sign into a Zoom account to join the Zoom session. It does not have to be a SIUE Zoom account. Use this authentication option when inviting non-SIUE guests to your meetings.  This option can be enabled when creating a Zoom meeting. 

Utilize a waiting room – This option enables a virtual waiting room where attendees wait until being allowed access by the meeting host or co-host.  If the Zoom meeting is for a class or class-related event, enable the "Guest Participants Only" option to allow anyone logging in with a SIUE e-ID and password to be admitted to the session automatically. Non-SIUE users will be placed in the waiting room where the host can determine if they should be admitted or not. This option can be utilized in lieu of a password for sessions involving non-SIUE attendees. This option can be enabled when creating a Zoom meeting. 

Additional security options:

Disable screen sharing for attendees - Enabling "Host Only" screen sharing will prevent attendees from sharing their content, including inappropriate or vulgar material. Hosts can enable screen-sharing ability for individual students once the Zoom meeting begins, if needed.  

Disable audio for attendees – Enabling "Mute participants upon entry" will prevent attendees from speaking until granted permission by the host. This option can be enabled when creating a Zoom meeting. 

Utilize in-meeting security features – Once a Zoom session has begun, hosts can still take steps to keep out unwanted users and control other aspects of the meeting using the Security tab. Options include locking the active session (to prevent any other users from joining the in-process meeting), enabling a waiting room, and controlling attendees ability to start their video, unmute themselves, share their screen, utilize chat, or rename themselves.  

Share the Zoom link – Many Zoom session links are shared directly with students (posted in Blackboard) and other SIUE users (via email, posts in Teams, etc.). For those Zoom sessions that involve non-SIUE attendees, the options above will greatly increase the security of the session and prevent unwanted attendees from entering the meeting and/or disrupting the session and/or harassing other attendees. However, even with security measures enacted, hosts and session coordinators should still be conscious of where or how they post their meeting link and information. Utilization of secure practices, including requiring attendee registration before providing meeting credentials directly via email and not sending meeting ID and password in same email message, are strongly encouraged. Sharing a Zoom meeting ID on social media, especially without the security options mentioned above, is strongly discouraged.  

There are many articles on Zoom in the ITS knowledge base (https://kb.siue.edu/search.php?q=zoom) and an article listing the above and other security features should be finalized by Monday. Any faculty, staff, or student can contact the ITS Help Desk (618-650-5500 or help@siue.edu) for questions about or assistance with Zoom.