A new security setting will be introduced to the University of Helsinki’s Zoom on 13 October 2021. After the setting enters into force, Zoom meetings must use at least one of the following security features: passcode, waiting room or required authentication.
- Passcode: when enabled, Zoom will generate a passcode for your meeting. By default, the numeric code is added directly to the meeting invitation link. This setting has already been enabled by default for all University of Helsinki Zoom meetings.
- Waiting room: when the waiting room is enabled, only the host and alternative host can access the meeting directly. The rest of the participants are directed to the waiting room, where they wait until the host lets them in.
- Require authentication to join: only users who are registered and logged in to Zoom can access the meeting. A registered user can also be registered in a Zoom environment other than that of the University of Helsinki.
After 13 October, Zoom will not allow you to save the meeting unless you enable at least one of these security features.
NOTE! The waiting room will be automatically activated for any previously created Zoom meetings that do not have any of the above features enabled.
Sensitive matters in the meeting? Require authentication!
For meetings that deal with sensitive issues (such as personnel issues), we recommend that you only allow registered Zoom users to attend by enabling the setting Require authentication to join. For example, adding an invitation link to the location field of a calendar event allows, in principle, anyone who can view that calendar to also join the meeting. Requiring authentication mitigates this risk. If you use the authentication requirement in combination with the waiting room, you, as the host, can already manage the participants very well.
Also remember the following Zoom content:
Zoom FAQ (IT Helpdesk instructions site)
Zoom instructions (IT Helpdesk instructions site)
Information security in video conferences (IT Helpdesk instructions site)