Zoom bombing gets more difficult; Zoom releases two new security features that make it easier for hosts to remove and report disruptive users

Zoom became an indispensable tool during the pandemic, used by millions of people to work from home and keep in touch with friends and family But its popularity also put Zoom's security problems, such as the Zoom bombing, in the spotlight

Zoom announced these new features in a blog post A new tool, "Suspend Participant Activity," allows hosts to pause meetings, remove Zoom bombers, and notify the Trust and Safety team To find this tool, click on the Security menu

When the meeting is paused, all video, audio, chat, screen sharing, recording, and breakout room activity will end Another new feature, "Report by Participant," provides the ability for meeting participants to report other users Likewise, this can be accessed through the security badge

Both security tools are accessible via the security icon and are available in version 543 of the Zoom desktop client for Mac, PC, and Linux, as well as in the mobile app

In addition, Zoom creates an "At-Risk Meeting Notifier" that scans public posts on social media sites for Zoom meeting links If a link is found and determined to be at risk of Zoom bombing, Zoom will send an email to the account owner and administrator

This new feature follows other Zoom security and privacy updates, including long-awaited end-to-end encryption, meeting passcode default settings, and expanded two-factor authentication Zoom is also working on accessibility features such as live captioning additions