Although I have not personally experienced gate crashing of my online classes or meetings, colleagues of mine have, and there continues to be increasing reports of this happening with institutions, organizations, and educators.\u00a0 This development is especially concerning given the current COVID-19 crisis and so many educators moving online to facilitate their lessons.<\/p>\r\n
What Is It?<\/strong> Video Collaboration Gate Crashing, also known as Zoom-bombing, is an interruption of a synchronous online session or meeting in a malicious manner.\u00a0 This is made possible when a session link is shared with participants and then becomes available to individuals other than those attended participants.\u00a0 Some hacker websites have begun to publish these links, and some individuals or groups are taking the opportunity to cause disruptions to the online classes.<\/p>\r\n What Are Some Examples?<\/strong> Some examples of the reported Gate Crashing includes:<\/p>\r\n C<\/strong>hat messages<\/strong><\/p>\r\n \u2022 Racist vitriol being posted as text or images<\/p>\r\n \u2022 Sexually inappropriate messages being posted as text or images<\/p>\r\n \u2022 Links to pornographic websites<\/p>\r\n Screen sharing<\/strong><\/p>\r\n \u2022 Images or videos shared containing pornographic, racist, or offensive content<\/p>\r\n Video interruptions<\/strong><\/p>\r\n \u2022 Virtual backdrops behind \u201cparticipants\u201d that contain pornographic or offensive images<\/p>\r\n \u2022 Racist vitriol<\/p>\r\n \u2022 Additionally, \u201cdenial of service\u201d attacks have been reported.\u00a0 This is a process where an individual or group overwhelms the video session to the point that the meeting or class cannot take place. These attacks can be prevented with some careful platform settings.<\/p>\r\n Prevention<\/strong> Utilize Blackboard Collaborate Ultra or another video collaboration tool that is embedded in your Learning Management System (LMS). Host your online class or virtual meeting from within a course rather than a shared link.\u00a0 This will ensure only registered participants with an LMS password can join the session.<\/p>\r\n Consider avoiding the use of a Personal Meeting ID (PMI) or permanent virtual meeting with an open hyperlink.\u00a0 Instead, schedule a meeting or class and create a new session each time.<\/p>\r\n Alternatively, consider using a password for guests to enter the session. Email this password separately from the hyperlink.<\/p>\r\n Become familiar with the settings of the platform you are using and disable any options that allow others to become a distraction.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n Standard settings to ensure include:<\/p>\r\n \u2022 Do not allow guests to join before a moderator.<\/p>\r\n \u2022 Do not allow participants to share their screen automatically.<\/p>\r\n \u2022 Do not permit guests to post in the chat unless it is a closed session or a co-moderator can assist.<\/p>\r\n \u2022 Do not allow virtual backdrops for guest video sharing.<\/p>\r\n If you are new to video collaboration, consider utilizing a co-host who can help monitor the discussions in the chatbox. This can be a colleague, student leader, etc.<\/p>\r\n More information on this can be found at:<\/p>\r\n Zoom specific resources: https:\/\/blog.zoom.us\/wordpress\/2020\/03\/20\/keep-the-party-crashers-from-crashing-your-zoom-event\/<\/p>\r\n BlueJeans specific resources: https:\/\/support.bluejeans.com\/s\/article\/Meeting-Controls-for-Participants-and-Moderators \u00a0<\/p>\r\n Thank you for taking some time out of your day.<\/p>\r\n What are your thoughts on this video collaboration gate crashing? Has it happened to you? Please comment below.<\/p>\r\n Enjoy the rest of your day! \u00a0<\/p>\r\n Image by Andrew Martin from Pixabay used under open license. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n References \/ Additional Reading<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Constine, J. (2020). Beware of \u2018ZoomBombing:\u2019 screensharing filth to video calls<\/em>. TechCrunch. https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2020\/03\/17\/zoombombing\/<\/p>\r\n Hern, A. (2020, March 27). Trolls exploit Zoom privacy settings as app gains popularity. The Guardian, International Edition<\/em>. https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2020\/mar\/27\/trolls-zoom-privacy-settings-covid-19-lockdown<\/p>\r\n Kingsley-Hughes, A. (2020). How to prevent your Zoom meetings being Zoom-bombed (gate-crashed) by trolls<\/em>. ZDNet. https:\/\/www.zdnet.com\/article\/how-to-prevent-your-zoom-meetings-being-zoom-bombed-gate-crashed-by-trolls\/<\/p>\r\n O\u2019Flaherty, K. (2020, March). Beware Zoom Users: Here\u2019s How People Can \u2018Zoom-Bomb\u2019 Your Chat. Forbes<\/em>. https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/kateoflahertyuk\/2020\/03\/27\/beware-zoom-users-heres-how-people-can-zoom-bomb-your-chat\/#b875094618e2<\/p>\r\n Zoombombing Resources<\/em>. (2020). Keep Teaching, University of Southern California. https:\/\/keepteaching.usc.edu\/tools\/zoombombing-resources\/<\/p>\r\n Zoom. (2020). How to Keep the Party Crashers from Crashing Your Zoom Event<\/em>. Zoom Blog. https:\/\/blog.zoom.us\/wordpress\/2020\/03\/20\/keep-the-party-crashers-from-crashing-your-zoom-event<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Although I have not personally experienced gate crashing of my online classes or meetings, colleagues of mine have, and there continues to be increasing reports of this happening with institutions, organizations, and educators.\u00a0 This development is especially concerning given the current COVID-19 crisis and so many educators moving online to facilitate their lessons. What Is … <\/p>\n