Published: July 04, 2021 on our newsletter Security Fraud News & Alerts Newsletter.
As its popularity grew, the widely used Zoom video conferencing app added a layer of login security to its user sign-in protocols. Although the update won’t keep your pets or kids from video-bombing your next Zoom meeting, it will make your account safer to use. Zoom has grown exponentially since the shift to remote work during the current coronavirus pandemic. As a result of this transition, cybersecurity everywhere is being challenged like never before. Zoom’s answer to this growing problem is adding 2FA (two-factor authentication) as another layer of identity verification during user login.
In an announcement on the website, the company states “Zoom’s enhanced Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) makes it easier for admins and organizations to protect their users and prevent security breaches right from our own platform.”
Zooming Growth
Although Zoom doesn’t release user totals, Bernstein Research found that in 2019, Zoom added a total of 1.99 million users that year. They also found that in the first two months of this year alone, a whopping 2.22 million active monthly users were added. While the business world continues to struggle with online security during the pandemic, it’s also likely that Zoom will continue to expand its user base.
Security Snapshot
Along with the remarkable growth comes a host of security concerns for Zoom and its users. BleepingComputer reported the account credentials of more than half a million Zoom users were discovered for sale on the dark web. Cybersecurity firm, Cybel, was able to obtain almost 530,000 Zoom credentials for free or less than a penny each. That information included a victim’s email address, password, personal meeting URL, and HostKey. User PII (personally identifiable information) in a hacker’s hands can lead to credential stuffing attacks and more. Zoom has also been known for having uninvited, unseen visitors spying on meetings, many with bad intent. It’s easy to see why Zoom has chosen to bolster user security and using 2FA (two-factor authentication) is an easy, mostly pain-free way to do it.
Zooming the Way with 2FA
2FA involves an additional verification step during login. The extra layer ensures the security of accounts beyond just a username and password. It’s easy and quick, with a random numerical code sent to the user during login, often by text. When signing into a Zoom account, the one-time code is sent to and input by the user as part of the login process. Much of enterprise is turning to 2FA for added identity confirmation, and MFA (multi-factor authentication), a process of using several steps to verify an identity, is also increasing.
Don’t Delay: Enable Your 2FA, Today
If you haven’t done so already, make sure to enable the 2FA option the next time you login to your Zoom account. At a time when hacking is at historic levels, extra security measures should be a welcome part of any online activity. For Zoom itself, 2FA helps its self-preservation as other video-conferencing apps are competing for customers. So, the next time a child or pet Zoom-bombs a meeting, it’s not a threat to anyone’s security and might also get a few chuckles. Uninvited criminals, however, are a security risk. Enabling 2FA is the antidote to keep prying eyes and ears where they belong – away from your Zoom meeting.
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