How to Secure Your Zoom Meetings: Expert Tips to Prevent Zoombombing

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Zoom became the go-to platform for safely connecting with friends, family, and colleagues through video calls. Its popularity exploded, but as a business-focused tool, initial security features were not intuitive for all users. This led to 'Zoombombing'—disruptive intrusions by unwanted participants.

Public backlash prompted Zoom to roll out robust enhancements, including automatic waiting rooms and passwords for free and basic accounts, plus recommendations for unique meeting IDs over personal ones. While these add minor steps, they significantly reduce risks, ensuring strangers don't crash your family gatherings.

Zoom remains a top choice for video conferencing. Here are proven steps to secure your free Zoom meetings, drawn from official features and real-world best practices.

Use Unique Meeting IDs and Passwords

Zoom now auto-generates passwords embedded in meeting links, allowing seamless access for invited guests. However, sharing the full link publicly undermines this protection. Relying on your personal meeting ID for every call increases exposure over time.

Fortunately, Zoom defaults to unique, auto-generated IDs when scheduling. There's rarely a need for your personal ID—even for recurring calls, send fresh invites with new IDs.

To schedule a secure meeting:

• Open the Zoom app and click "Schedule," or use the web interface and select "Schedule a New Meeting."
• Add a topic, description, date, time, and duration (free plans limit group calls to 40 minutes).
• Under "Meeting ID," ensure "Auto-generate" is selected for a unique ID.
• In the Security section, confirm or customize the password.
• Enable "Waiting Room" (detailed below) for host approval of entrants.
• Click "Advanced Options" to mute participants on entry, restrict geographies, or disable lobby bypass (not recommended).
• Save, then copy the invitation link to share securely.
• Start when ready via the blue button or link.

Enable the Virtual Waiting Room

The waiting room lets you vet every participant before admitting them. Guests wait virtually while you get notified at the top of your screen.

Click "View" to open the sidebar: admit all, individuals, remove, or message waiters. Ideal for controlled access, though it requires more oversight for large groups.

Lock Meetings, Disable Sharing, and Manage Disruptors

Once everyone trusted is in, click the "Security" icon (bottom toolbar) and select "Lock Meeting" to block further entries—even with ID and password.

Disable "Share Screen" in the same menu to prevent unauthorized shares, re-enabling as needed. For misbehaving guests, use the "Participants" panel: hover their name, select "More" > "Put in Waiting Room" or "Remove." Lock afterward to deter rejoining.

For severe issues, choose "Suspend Participant Activities" via Security: halts video, audio, chat, sharing, and more. Report the user with details and screenshots; features resume after.

Updated January 13, 2022, 9am ET: This article was originally published on April 17, 2020, and updated for current Zoom features.