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Zoom Continues to Improve Security Features in Version 5.0

Related services: Zoom

May 1, 2020
This news article is from 2020. For the latest on Zoom security features and strategies to protect your meetings and webinars, visit Zoom Security Features: Reduce the Odds of Zoombombing and Checklist: Keep Your Zoom Meeting Secure.

Zoom has released version 5.0 this week as the next step in its continuing efforts to improve meeting video and data security.

Most notably, the update adds support for improved encryption, which Zoom plans to activate on its networks May 30, 2020. In preparation for this important change, CIT asks all Cornell users to update to Zoom version 5.0 or higher before that date.

Getting Version 5.0

For users with Cornell-managed devices, the update will be available for installation in the next patch cycle. Completing installation may require restarting your computer.

Members of the Cornell community with personally owned or non-managed computers should update their Zoom software within the desktop application by opening their profile settings (click the profile picture in the top-right corner), then clicking Check for Updates.

CIT does not recommend downloading the installation package from Zoom’s download website, which could cause users to lose some personal settings.

Version 5.0 Details

The Zoom version 5.0 update will add:

  • Improved encryption
    As mentioned above, this update adds support for AES 256-bit GCM encryption to the Zoom client. The improved confidentiality and transmission privacy will be activated across the Zoom network on May 30, 2020, and users need to update to version 5.0 (or later) before that date.
  • A Report to Zoom option
    This new option, found on the Security icon in the host’s toolbar, allows participant abuse to be reported directly to Zoom for investigation.
Cornell meeting hosts should continue to report incidents of Zoombombing and other abuse to zoomsecurity@cornell.edu as well.
  • Changes to process if the host leaves the meeting
    Hosts will now be required to assign a new host when they leave a meeting in progress.
  • Chat indicates external users and restricts private chat
    Participants who are not authenticated users (that is, not logged in through cornell.zoom.us or using a cornell.edu email address) will be labeled External in Chat messages and profile details. External users will not be able to chat privately with other meeting participants.
  • Information about a participant’s Data Center
    The Info icon (circled “I”) at the top left of the meeting window will show users which data center they are connected to, in addition to the usual user information displayed there. Data centers are the Zoom servers around the world that provide connections for large geographic regions, such as the United States, Europe, Canada, or China.

Learn More

For full details about recent Zoom updates, visit New Updates for Windows on the Zoom website.

For more about using Zoom securely at Cornell, see Keep Zoom Meetings Private and Reduce the Odds of Zoombombing.

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