It’s time to enhance the security of your Zoom meetings with the latest update. Zoom 5.0 features advanced encryption, which provides added protection for meeting data and greater resistance to tampering. After May 30, 2020, older versions will receive a forced upgrade when trying to join meetings as their advanced encryption will be fully enabled across the entire Zoom platform. Upgrade to Zoom 5.0 by visiting the Zoom download page.

From the Zoom Blog – 5 Things to Know About Zoom 5.0

1. AES 256-bit GCM encryption

Zoom 5.0 supports our current encryption and GCM encryption. A system-wide account enablement to GCM encryption will occur on May 30, 2020, and only Zoom clients on version 5.0 or later, including Zoom Rooms, will be able to join Zoom Meetings starting May 30.

2. Report a User feature

Meeting hosts and co-hosts can report a user in their meeting who is misusing the Zoom platform. Found in the Security icon, the option sends a report to Zoom’s Trust & Safety team for review. The report can include a specific offense, description, and optional screenshot. The Report a User function is on by default but can be turned off at the account, group, and user level in the Zoom web portal.

3. New encryption icon

A new encryption shield appears in the upper left of your Zoom Meeting window and indicates a secure, encrypted meeting. After May 30, the shield will be green for all users, denoting enhanced GCM encryption. Clicking the icon also takes you to the Statistics page for additional encryption details.

4. Enhanced data center information

Meeting hosts can now select data center regions at the scheduling level for meetings and webinars. The Zoom client also shows which data center you’re connected to in the Info icon in the upper left of your Zoom window. You can get additional details in-meeting by selecting Video Settings – Statistics in the meeting controls.

5. Enhancements to ending/leaving meetings

We’ve refined the action of ending or leaving a Zoom Meeting to make it easier and also more secure. With a new UI update, hosts can clearly decide between ending or leaving a meeting. If the host leaves, they can now easily select a new host and have the confidence that the right person is left with host privileges.

Additional security enhancements

A few other recent Zoom security updates include: 

• Profile picture control: Account admins and hosts can disable the ability for participants to show their profile picture and also prevent them from changing it in a meeting.
• Minimum password length: The minimum default password length will be six characters for meetings, webinars, and cloud recordings.
• Cloud recording security: Admins and meeting hosts can set expirations on their cloud recordings and can disable the sharing of their recordings.