Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

After 'Zoom bombings', other incidents, FBI warns of videoconferencing hijacking amid coronavirus

After 'Zoom bombings', other incidents, FBI warns of videoconferencing hijacking amid coronavirus

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is warning of potential hijacks of videoconferencing applications. Overnight, the FBI highlighted two incidents in Massachusetts related to the popular videoconferencing app Zoom.
The FBI is out with a warning about Zoom. So as more and more people turn to Zoom to stay connected during the coronavirus outbreak, the FBI has received multiple reports of conferences being interrupted by hackers.

This is something called Zoom bombing, and basically what happens is the people who are using Zoom either don't set their particular conference to private or they use an easily guessed password, something along those lines. And people access the chat that they're in and then can scream profanities or, in some instances, post antisemitic images, hate speech, things along those lines. So they're just jumping into these people's chats, doing this, and then leaving.

And so the FBI is now warning people that if they are using Zoom, make sure they're using the latest version. Make sure they're setting their chats to private, especially if they're officials, educators, people in the workforce, things along those lines, and ensuring that they're following best practices for internet security in general.

"In late March 2020, a Massachusetts-based high school reported that while a teacher was conducting an online class using the teleconferencing software Zoom, an unidentified individual(s) dialed into the classroom. This individual yelled a profanity and then shouted the teacher’s home address in the middle of instruction," a release from the Boston FBI Field Office said. "A second Massachusetts-based school reported a Zoom meeting being accessed by an unidentified individual."

The statement continued, "In this incident, the individual was visible on the video camera and displayed swastika tattoos."

Zoom has been a rich target for cyber criminals and malicious actors.

Cyber criminals are targeting video conferencing sites like Zoom, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Typically they create domains that impersonate Zoom, with the goal of stealing personal information. Because about 60% of Fortune 500 companies use apps like Zoom, cyber criminals see an opportunity to potentially steal corporate proprietary information and sensitive information about employees.

As more schools and businesses work remotely, this creates an ideal environment for cyber thieves.

Advocacy groups have been calling for Zoom to take action against what they allege is trolling of African American users on the platform.

Dennis Johnson, a doctoral student at California State University, Long Beach, was presenting his dissertation via Zoom last week as per the school's COVID-19 contingency plans. In the middle of his dissertation he said a hijacker gained control of his presentation and interrupted it by posting pornographic images and typing a racial slur on screen.

"Honestly, I was just lost - I reached out to Zoom and they tell me these are 'party crashers.' These are not party crashers, they are racist, sexist attacks on people of color," Johnson alleges.

"This week, one of our members, Dr. Dennis Johnson was defending his dissertation via the Zoom platform when a racist troll hijacked his presentation -- drawing crude images ... on the screen," Brandi Collins-Dexter, Senior Campaign Director Color Of Change wrote in a letter to executives at Zoom.

The FBI offered some tips to people who are working from home – especially using apps like Zoom. They said to make sure everyone’s software is updated, not to make meetings or classrooms public and to provide the link directly to people.

In a statement, Zoom told news that they urge people to report incidents on their website and they will take appropriate action.

"We take the security of Zoom meetings seriously and we are deeply upset to hear about the incidents involving this type of attack. For those hosting large, public group meetings, we strongly encourage hosts to review their settings and confirm that only the host can share their screen," a Zoom spokesperson said in a statement.

"For those hosting private meetings, password protections are on by default and we recommend that users keep those protections on to prevent uninvited users from joining," the statement said.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Russia’s A7 Builds a State-Linked Payments Network Beyond Western Sanctions
AI’s Next Bottleneck Is Power, Not Just Nvidia Chips
Meta Raises AI Spending Target to as Much as $145bn Despite Pressure Over Returns
Danube Drought Exposes Nazi Wrecks and Pushes Central Europe’s Power System to the Brink
Joe Biden’s Cancer Has Spread Beyond His Bones, Hunter Biden Says
Why 2027 Could Be a Strong Year for Stocks—and Why the Forecast Is Fragile
Why Markets May Look Quiet in August After Big Tech Earnings
UK Drought Cuts Harvests and Raises Food-Security Fears
UFO: Pentagon Releases Video of Unidentified Object Tracked Over Middle East
Ukraine Tells Senate Republicans Its Drone War Offers a Blueprint for America
Weight-Loss Drug Boom Tests the Limits of Prescription Advertising Rules
Senate Scrutinises AI-Driven Personalised Pricing
Spain Seeks Mainland Transfers for 1,100 Children Stranded in Ceuta
Spain and Morocco Trade Blame After 72,000 Migrants Enter Ceuta
AI Is Remaking the US Economy, From GDP Growth to iPhone Prices
Europe’s Heat and Drought Are Now Disrupting Power, Shipping and Tourism
Europe’s Drying Rivers Trigger Power Cuts, Factory Shutdowns and Wildfire Emergencies
Record-Low Danube Forces Nuclear Cuts and Emergency Power Curbs
Danube Drought Forces Hungary’s Paks Nuclear Plant Into Full Shutdown
Ceuta Death Toll Rises as Spain and Europe Clash Over Border Response
Valued at $109 Million: F-35B Fighter Jet Crashes in Southern California
Record-Low Danube Exposes Probable Mammoth Remains in Bulgaria
US Says It Has Carried Out Heavy Strikes on Iran After Attempted Attacks on Its Forces
The AI User Nightmare: Private Claude Conversations Leaked to the Internet
Over 24 Hours in the Air: Qantas Airbus Completes Record-Breaking Test Flight
Massive Wildfires Ravage Southern Europe: Fatalities in Greece and Evacuations Across France, Spain, and Turkey
Nvidia Reportedly Takes Vast Texas Data-Centre Lease to Underwrite AI Expansion
FIFA’s Private-Investment Plan for World Cup Rights Draws European Revolt
Apple Briefly Crosses Five Trillion Dollar Valuation as Investors Retreat From AI Bets
Fresh Heatwave Threatens to Rekindle France’s Historic Wildfire Crisis
Following OpenAI's Cyberattack: 'Most Companies Still Do Not Understand What Is Coming'
OpenAI Sued After ChatGPT Allegedly Discouraged Emergency Care Before Near-Fatal Embolism
Miliband Sets Climate and International Law at Centre of UK Diplomacy
Czech Central Bank Governor Rejects Early Euro Entry and Rate-Cut Pressure
Trump Readies New Tariffs as Temporary Global Levy Nears Expiry
Vivienne Westwood Casts Cicciolina, 74, in Its New Autumn Campaign
Dejavu: Germany’s Military Expansion Reshapes Europe’s Strategic Balance With France
Morgan Stanley Builds a Wall Street Lead in AI Infrastructure Finance
High Prices Push Coffee Drinkers Toward Whole Beans and Home Brewing
Trump Draws Boos and Podium Scrutiny at Spain’s World Cup Triumph
Brilliant move: Péter Magyar Moves to Nominate Chess Grandmaster Judit Polgár as Hungary’s President
Spain Defeats Argentina in Extra Time to Win Second World Cup
Current AI Seeks to Build an Open Global AI Infrastructure Outside Big Tech Control
Germany’s Economic Malaise Reopens the Sunday Shopping Debate
Proposed U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Pact Could Permit Limited Uranium Enrichment Under International Safeguards
Netherlands Declares Water Shortage Emergency After Drought Pushes Rivers to Historic Lows
Why Kentucky Fried Chicken Became KFC—and Why the False Explanations Persist
Ukrainian Drones Strike Wildberries Warehouses Deep Inside Russia
Reported CIA Mission Helped Clear the UAE’s Path to Advanced US AI Chips
Artificial Intelligence Capital Fuels Markets While Governments and Regulators Face Mounting Strategic Tests
×