In early 2020, Zoom’s userbase expanded exponentially in response to increased demand for virtual collaboration tools caused by
What is the COVID-19 pandemic
The acronym DIR is also known as
What is Texas Department of Information Resources
Zoom halted feature development and committed to an aggressive 90-day security improvement plan because
What are several major security issues identified with the Zoom platform
As a rule of thumb, each organization should thoroughly evaluate the use of each system against the
What is security requirements of the organization
In coordination with the Texas Information Sharing and Analysis Organization, DIR has also conducted and reviewed additional third-party research and analysis on
What is ZOOM platform
Based on the currently available evidence, DIR has concluded Zoom is now a viable candidate for online collaboration and is an acceptable platform for
What is conducting state business involving both public and sensitive communications
Additionally, DIR continues to strongly recommend against using Zoom for
What is highly confidential conversations, meetings, or data transfer and using the recording feature for sensitive and confidential meetings.
DIR encourages all organizations currently using or considering the use of Zoom to explore
What is Zoom for Government
Zoom does or does not encrypt meeting traffic over its own internal network and servers?
What is Does Not!
As meeting traffic is internally unencrypted, each organization should
What is evaluate the risk of exposure for sensitive or confidential meeting traffic.
Each organization must evaluate the use of any virtual collaboration platform against the security requirements of that organization. When in doubt, users should
What is consult with their IT professionals and management to ensure the platform does not present an unacceptable risk to the organization
DIR reminds users to always follow their organization’s policies addressing
What is virtual meetings, information security, and records retention when using virtual collaboration tools.
Virtual collaboration tools are feature-rich programs with many configurations that can support open collaboration or communication based on how the tool is configured. General configuration recommendations to support security and reduce the chance of meeting disruption are
What is Schedule meetings that require a password to join, Disable the chat feature prior to the start of the meeting. Put all attendees in mute mode and suspend privileges for participants to unmute themselves until needed. Avoid posting photos or screenshots of your meetings. Lock meetings once all participants have joined
As with any technology, it is critical to
What is update software and apply security patches on a regular basis.
Luna, a playful, spoiled dog
What is Carrie's pet
The phrase "please hold"
What is Carrie's favorite phrase when she needs a few moments to find an answer, search for / send a document or email, or answer text, email or phone call.