Virginia Tech users can secure Zoom meetings and defend against meeting interruptions by following these best practices:

• First, consider whether Zoom is the best place to host your conversation.

  • Sensitive or confidential conversations may be better held in person or using the Phone feature in Zoom.

• Sign in to Zoom through virginiatech.zoom.us (Participants who have not signed in will have “Guest” next to their name in the participant list and will not have access to host/co-host controls.)

• Restrict meetings to only authenticated members of the Virginia Tech community. Hosts can add individual non-VT email addresses as exceptions to allow captioners, guest presenters, and others to join the meeting while maintaining a high level of security.

• Use a waiting room or passcode to restrict outside access to the meeting.

• Never share a Zoom meeting URL or meeting number on social media, posters, or other public media. Instead, share a link to a Canvas page or GobblerConnect event where you can manage access, or require participants to register for the meeting in advance using Zoom Registration.

• For events that need to be publicized, request a webinar license.

• Protect Zoom meetings by managing AI bots.

• Change the meeting ID for a meeting that was disrupted. If it is a recurring number like a “Personal Meeting ID” or for a series of meetings, delete future meetings immediately, re-create them with a new number, and update calendar invitations.

• Become familiar with meeting host security controls. During a meeting, hosts/co-hosts can lock a meeting, remove uninvited attendees, and block inappropriate content by actively managing the participants.

• Check meeting settings for features that may be turned on, such as transcripts, summaries, and chats, that automatically share with all participants. By default, these features are off, but once turned on they apply to all meetings.

Depending on the type of meeting and intended audience(s), some of these steps will be more effective than others. For more information, review the guidelines for securing Zoom meetings in the 4Help Knowledge Base. Additional guidance is available from Zoom.

For assistance with Zoom settings, contact 4Help.vt.edu.

Zoom continuously improves its software by adding new features and security settings. Keeping your Zoom application updated gives you access to the latest features. For assistance with updating Zoom, contact 4Help.vt.edu. For department-managed devices, users should contact their system administrator for assistance.

(Updated March 25, 2025)