Due to the onset of the global pandemic, a large majority of individuals and businesses alike are working from home. In order to facilitate meetings from home, Zoom has been quite the friendly tool, and is proclaimed to be the “leader in modern enterprise video communications.” 

Unfortunately, the benefits of online video communication come at a cost. It is important to think about the possible risks associated with using these technological aids. Read on to learn a few recommended steps to mitigate any risks when using technology in your day to day life and business!

1. Security: Securing your zoom meetings will secure your personal information. This information may be personal to you as an individual or to your business as an entity. Zoom offers a variety of features to protect you and your business. These include but are not limited to:
   • Protecting your meetings with a password and keeping the password private.
   • Enabling the “private meeting” setting.
   • Using a “waiting room” which will allow the host of the meeting to check in the participants one by one before allowing anyone to join.
2. Confidentiality : Making smart choices when using the technology zoom provides is not the only thing you should worry about when determining how to protect yourself and or your business. You may be at risk of disclosing confidential information. Consider the following tips to help you protect any confidential information:
   • Instruct members not to screenshot or record the meeting if sensitive information is being presented.
   • Require some sort of confidentiality agreement if the meeting contains particularly sensitive information.
   • If the meeting concerns attorney-client protected matters, consider saying so at the beginning of the meeting.
   • Be sure that your handbooks and company policies are up to date with confidentiality practices regarding virtual meetings.
   • Before screen sharing, close all applications in order to protect any confidential information visible on those applications to members of the meeting.
3. General Privacy :
   • Do not individually distribute recordings to members of the meetings; use a centrally managed database and or a secured link.
   • If the recordings are available on a central database, consider deleting or taking these meetings down after a certain amount of time.
   • For personal health information, zoom (and other video conferencing platforms) may not be HIPPA compliant.
   • Recording a call without consent may violate privacy depending on the location and situation involved; announce at the beginning that the call will be recorded or consider sending an email to members notifying them that the call will be recorded and that participation will imply consent to the recording.