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Zoom Updates

December 14, 2020

Live Transcripts (Live Captions) - December

Zoom live transcripts are now available for your meetings. Please note that at the moment, this feature is only available for users with @caltech.edu email addresses. Users with other email addresses like @hss.caltech.edu, @pma.caltech.edu, etc. will not see this feature.

Enable Live Transcripts

Zoom 5.3 Update - September 21

Zoom version 5.3 is now available.

Features:

  • Calendar integration sync improvement
  • Enhanced integration with Outlook client
  • Enhanced scheduling with default settings
  • Self-select Breakout Room

Review the full details of this update.

Update Instructions:

  • In Zoom, click on your profile picture or initials
  • Click Check for updates
  • Click Update and follow the installation prompts

Zoom Requiring Meeting Waiting Room or Passcode, starting September 27th

Starting September 27th, Zoom will require that all meetings have a Passcode or a Waiting Room enabled for all licensed accounts.

If neither a meeting waiting room or passcode is enabled for your meetings, starting on September 27, Zoom will enable a waiting room for your meetings.

Note: This change was previously scheduled to start on July 19th, but it has been postponed by Zoom.

Authenticated Users and Zoom Waiting Room

If your meetings are configured so that only authenticated Caltech users can access your meeting, you will still need to enable the waiting room or passcode. You can select to enable the waiting room, but have authenticated users bypass the waiting room by following these steps. Please note that this is a global setting, once enabled, this will apply to all meetings with a waiting room requiring authenticated users only.

  • Go to https://caltech.zoom.us
  • Login with your access.caltech username and password
  • On the left navigation select Security
  • Then select the Meeting tab and select Security
  • In the Waiting Room Options section, select Edit Options

Zoom security settings

  • In the Waiting Room Options window, under Who should go in the waiting room?, select Users not in your account
  • Click Continue

Zoom security waiting room options

Previously Scheduled Meetings

Previously scheduled meetings should be updated with a meeting passcode or waiting room. If a passcode is set up for your meeting make sure to update your meeting participants with the passcode.

Scheduling New Meetings

If a passcode is added to a new meeting, the passcode will be embedded in the meeting link automatically.

Learn more about this change, passcodes and waiting rooms.

Zoom Version 5.1 Available - June 15

The latest version of Zoom, version 5.1 is now available. Some of the new features are listed below, visit Zoom's page for more details about this update.

Changes to existing features:

  • Unmute all participants for meetings with 200 participants or fewer. This feature requires the desktop client 5.1.0 for the participants you are unmuting, as well as the host.
  • Webinar features:
    • Option to delete questions submitted through the Q&A during a webinar.
  • Phone features:
    • Reconnect option - users will see a notification to manually reconnect to the Zoom Phone server if they disconnect
    • Enhancements to hiding outbound caller ID - users can dial *67 before entering a phone number to hide their outbound called ID
  • Minor bug fixes

Upgrade Your Existing Zoom Client

  • Open Zoom on your desktop or laptop
  • Click on your profile located in the top right corner
  • Select Check for Updates > Install

If you are downloading Zoom for the first time, go to https://zoom.com/download.

Zoom Screen Sharing Instructions - May 1

Follow the screen sharing instructions to ensure that you are only sharing the intended content during your meeting. The instructions show you how to share only the intended application or window, instead of your entire desktop.

Zoom Version 5.0 Available – Upgrade by May 30

The latest version of Zoom, version 5.0 is now available. After May 30, 2020, all Zoom clients on older versions will be required to upgrade before joining meetings. Zoom 5.0 provides increased protection for meeting data and resistance against tampering. AES 256-bit GCM encryption is fully enabled for all Zoom meetings with this new version.

In addition, this new version of Zoom includes the report a user during a meeting feature. This feature allows the meeting host to report a malicious user to Zoom during a meeting.

Upgrade Your Existing Zoom Client

  • Open Zoom on your desktop or laptop
  • Click on your profile located in the top right corner
  • Select Check for Updates > Install

If you are downloading Zoom for the first time, go to https://zoom.com/download.

Zoom - Securing your Meetings - April 27

Zoom provides two ways of securing your meetings, setting a password requirement or allowing only Caltech participants

Require Password - recommended option for security your meetings

  • Use this option if you will have Caltech and non-Caltech participants in your meeting. You may also use this option if you are not worried about participants forwarding your meeting invitation to other users not originally in the participant's list.

Only Authenticated Users Can Join - Caltech users only

  • Use this option when you need to ensure that your meeting can only be accessed by Caltech users only (this includes Caltech users with sub-domains such as Astro, HSS, GPS, etc.)

Zoom Software Updates - April 22

Zoom continues to enhance its features and security to better serve the user community. IMSS recommends you Check updates in the Zoom menu weekly and update the software when prompted.

Release notes 4.6.12 (20615.0421)

  • Changes to existing features
  • -Re-enable clickable links in meeting chat
  • Resolved issues
  • -Security enhancements

Zoom Software Release 4.6.10 – April 8

Zoom pushed out a software release to the web application and desktop apps. Those using the computer version of zoom will be prompted to update. Please update your app to this to get the latest security features.

Changes to the existing features

  • Meeting ID has moved from the title bar- find the ID in the Participants panel and click Invite
  • Moved Invite button to Participants panel

New and enhanced features

  • Added a Security button in the hosts meeting toolbar

Zoom Security Options Menu

Zoom War Dialing - April 6

Zoom meeting IDs consist of 9 to 11 digits. Zoom War Dialing refers to hackers repeatedly guessing random IDs within that space of digits to gain entry to accessible Zoom meetings. The meeting needs to be accessible without a password in order for war-dialing to work.

Recommendations

Follow any of these recommendations to better secure your meeting:

Zoom Client Updates - April 2

In order to make sure that your meetings have the most up to date security and privacy features available, it is a good practice to keep your Zoom client updated. The Zoom client application currently does not auto-update, although logged-in users may receive a prompt to manually apply new updates. Rather than waiting for the prompt, we recommend periodically confirming that your version of the Zoom software is up to date.

Zoom Privacy and Security Updates - April 2

IMSS encourages users to follow the Zoom Meeting Privacy Recommendations which address Zoom Privacy and Security concerns. These recommendations will help mitigate ZoomBombing. In addition, it is important that users maintain their Zoom client updated.

ZoomBombing - March 26

As recently reported by the LA Times and other news sources, a relatively new frontier of internet trolling, Zoom-bombing has taken over video conferences and "work from home happy hours" with hateful images and vulgar screen-shares.

Recommendations

Learn more about Zoom Video Conferencing.