Just how safe is the meeting app Zoom in the time of quarantines?

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is forcing many businesses to migrate to online solutions, even as many countries in the world are in lockdown, and everyone's stuck at home. Many voice and meeting apps are thriving in this setup, including FB messenger and Discord. And perhaps the most successful of these is the video conferencing app Zoom. But the many reports of Zoom intrusions and strangers suddenly joining private meetings begs the question, is it safe?

Tech expert and business professional <a href="https://twitter.com/Yas_Aloosy">Yas Aloosy</a> says that people have to heed warnings and commit to safeguarding methods when using Zoom. Even as the number of daily and active Zoom users has increased by 67% since January, news agencies like The Guardian have been calling Zoom a malware.

The nefarious activities are being called "Zoombombing," with many hackers joining in. The problem is that Zoom isn't offering clear end-to-end encryption, a revelation that Zoom has recently admitted, despite alleging otherwise in previous months.

This doesn't mean people have to avoid Zoom altogether, though; they just need to find ways to improve privacy while using the app. For one, there's no clear assurance that other conferencing apps are secure. At least, the attention to Zoom has made the company more focused on updates and patches to address the intrusions. The FBI is also investigating the situation, and the attention should help deter hackers.

For now, it is crucial to exercise better caution. If you are having a Zoom meeting, make sure not to share the link to anyone you don't trust, as it's considered public. Set up passwords to verify attendees' meeting IDs. Managing screen sharing better and let the meeting host be the only one allowed to share. And go to the settings to ensure that only participants that are signed in can join the call. You can even disable private chat and video altogether. Finally, make it a point to report any instances of unwanted activity directly to Zoom, advises Yas Aloosy.