You are here
Zoom Security Guide
The following information outlines the steps necessary to host more secure Zoom meetings and webinars. Using the settings recommended below can protect your meetings against Zoom bombing, a practice in which an uninvited attendee disrupts a Zoom meeting by sharing inappropriate or offensive material.
As the host of a Zoom meeting or webinar, you are responsible for ensuring the appropriate settings are in place to protect your meeting. If you have questions or need help adjusting your settings, please contact the 24/7 IT Help Desk at any time for assistance.
- Reminder: The University of Pittsburgh’s standard Zoom environment is not HIPAA compliant. However, the University provides access to a separate HIPAA-compliant Zoom environment for those who are conducting tele-medicine appointments or are hosting meetings that discuss protected health information. Learn more ...
Types of Zoom Meetings
Before applying recommended settings, use the table below to help determine whether your meeting is better suited to a Zoom Meeting or a Zoom Webinar.
| Meeting Type | Max. attendees in a single meeting | Who Can Schedule | Meeting Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic license | 100 | Sponsored accounts | 40-minute limit |
| Regular meeting | 300 | Students and staff | 24-hour limit |
| Large meeting | 500 | Faculty | 24-hour limit |
| Webinar | 500 | Granted as needed upon review | 24-hour limit |
| SIP H.323 phone connector | Based upon license type | Granted as needed upon review | 24-hour limit |
Recommended Zoom Settings
External Meeting Settings (Some Participants May Be Unknown)
External Meeting Settings (Some Participants May Be Unknown)
Common Settings For Both Meetings and Webinars
| Setting Option | Default Setting | Recommended Setting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Public Town Hall |
Public Training |
Large Entertainment |
| Passcode | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Only authenticated users can join | No | Zoom.us | Zoom.us | No |
| Allow participant to rename themselves | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Host video at meeting start | No | No | No | No |
| Panelist video at webinar start | No | No | No | No |
| Display annotator's name by annotation | Yes | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Meetings
| Setting Option | Default Setting | Recommended Setting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Public Town Hall |
Public Training |
Large Entertainment |
| Waiting room | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Personal meeting ID | No | No | N/A | N/A |
| Join before host | No | No | No | No |
| Registration | No | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| Automatic recording | No | Yes or No | N/A | N/A |
| Mute participants upon entry | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| In-Meeting file transfer | Yes | No | N/A | N/A |
| Host video at meeting start | No | No | N/A | N/A |
| Attendee video at meeting start | No | No | N/A | N/A |
In-Meeting Settings
| Setting Option | Default Setting | Recommended Setting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Public Town Hall |
Public Training |
Large Entertainment |
| Lock meeting | No | No | No | No |
| Participants can unmute themselves | Yes | No | N/A | N/A |
| Chat | Participants can send 1:1 or group | No | No | No |
| Participant annotation | Host & Participant | Host Only | Host Only | Host Only |
| Screen share | Host Only | Host Only | Host Only | Host Only |
Webinars
| Setting Option | Default Setting | Recommended Setting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Public Town Hall |
Public Training |
Large Entertainment |
| Practice mode | No | N/A | Yes | Yes |
| Registration | No | N/A | Yes | No |
| Automatic recording | No | N/A | Yes or No | Yes or No |
| Q&A | Yes | N/A | Yes | No |
Desktop Client Settings
| Setting Option | Default Setting | Recommended Setting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Public Town Hall |
Public Training |
Large Entertainment |
| Display participant's name on their video | Yes | Yes | N/A | N/A |
Academic Meeting Settings (All Participants Are Known)
Academic Meeting Settings (All Participants Are Known)
Common Settings For Both Meetings and Webinars
| Setting Option | Default Setting | Recommended Setting | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Instructor Office Hours |
Zoom Room (Classroom Instruction) |
| Passcode | No | Yes | No |
| Only authenticated users can join | No | @pitt.edu | @pitt.edu |
| Allow participant to rename themselves | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Host video at meeting start | No | Yes or No | Yes or No |
| Panelist video at webinar start | No | Yes | No |
| Display annotator's name by annotation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Meetings
| Setting Option | Default Setting | Recommended Setting | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Instructor Office Hours |
Zoom Room (Classroom Instruction) |
| Waiting room | No | Yes or No | No |
| Personal meeting ID | No | Yes or No | No |
| Join before host | No | N/A | Yes |
| Registration | No | No | No |
| Automatic recording | No | No | Yes |
| Mute participants upon entry | No | No | Yes |
| In-Meeting file transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Host video at meeting start | No | Yes | No |
| Attendee video at meeting start | No | Yes | No |
In-Meeting Settings
| Setting Option | Default Setting | Recommended Setting | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Instructor Office Hours |
Zoom Room (Classroom Instruction) |
| Lock meeting | No | Yes | No |
| Participants can unmute themselves | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Chat | Participants can send 1:1 or group | Yes | Yes |
| Participant annotation | Host & Participant | Both | Both |
| Screen share | Host Only | Host Only | Host Only |
Webinars
| Setting Option | Default Setting | Recommended Setting | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Instructor Office Hours |
Zoom Room (Classroom Instruction) |
| Practice mode | No | No | No |
| Registration | No | No | No |
| Automatic recording | No | No | No |
| Q&A | Yes | No | No |
Desktop Client Settings
| Setting Option | Default Setting | Recommended Setting | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Instructor Office Hours |
Zoom Room (Classroom Instruction) |
| Display participant's name on their video | Yes | Yes or No | Yes |
Administrative Meeting Settings (All Participants Are Known)
Administrative Meeting Settings (All Participants Are Known)
Common Settings For Both Meetings and Webinars
| Setting Option | Default Setting | Recommended Setting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Small Staff Meeting |
Dept. Meeting |
Small Group Training |
| Passcode | No | No | No | No |
| Only authenticated users can join | No | @pitt.edu | @pitt.edu | @pitt.edu |
| Allow participant to rename themselves | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Host video at meeting start | No | Yes or No | Yes or No | Yes or No |
| Panelist video at webinar start | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Display annotator's name by annotation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Meetings
| Setting Option | Default Setting | Recommended Setting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Small Staff Meeting |
Dept. Meeting |
Small Group Training |
| Waiting room | No | No | No | Yes |
| Personal meeting ID | No | No | No | No |
| Join before host | No | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Registration | No | No | Yes or No | Yes or No |
| Automatic recording | No | Yes or No | Yes or No | Yes |
| Mute participants upon entry | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| In-Meeting file transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Host video at meeting start | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Attendee video at meeting start | No | Yes | No | Yes |
In-Meeting Settings
| Setting Option | Default Setting | Recommended Setting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Small Staff Meeting |
Dept. Meeting |
Small Group Training |
| Lock meeting | No | No | No | No |
| Participants can unmute themselves | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Chat | Participants can send 1:1 or group | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Participant annotation | Host & Participant | Both | Both | Both |
| Screen share | Host Only | Host Only | Host Only | Host Only |
Webinars
| Setting Option | Default Setting | Recommended Setting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Small Staff Meeting |
Dept. Meeting |
Small Group Training |
| Practice mode | No | No | No | No |
| Registration | No | No | No | No |
| Automatic recording | No | No | No | No |
| Q&A | Yes | No | No | No |
Desktop Client Settings
| Setting Option | Default Setting | Recommended Setting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Small Staff Meeting |
Dept. Meeting |
Small Group Training |
| Display participant's name on their video | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |