Zoom is getting the much-needed security upgrades with the release of a new update. Since the coronavirus pandemic struck and lockdown became new normal, Zoom emerged as the biggest winner. The video-conferencing service gained a lot of users during the lockdown. It is still widely used for video conferencing and virtual meetings. The rise of Zoom has also come at the cost of security and privacy. Zoom 5.0, which will be out by the end of the week, will address those concerns.
With Zoom 5.0, the company is adding new encryption standards and updated privacy options. The new version will also have better default settings keeping security of users in mind. The big change coming with Zoom 5.0 is the addition of 256-bit AES-GCM encryption. This is the most complex Advanced Encryption Standard currently in use right now. It is also the one widely used by companies providing financial services.
Zoom will fix major security issues
Zoom had earlier claimed that it supported end-to-end encryption. But research from The Intercept found that Zoom isn’t actually end-to-end encrypted. In other words, the video platform can still access your video meetings. Now, with the release of Zoom 5.0, the company is delivering on its previous claim. The new version will also bring interface and design tweaks to the service. Zoom says hosts will no longer need to dig through various sub-menus to access security options.
The service will prominently display a new button on the meeting menu bar. It will also make it easier to report those crashing your Zoom meetings. Another issue being addressed is the data servers used to route your meetings. With version 5.0, Zoom will let admins decide which data center regions data is sent to. The updates should come as a good news for those put down by the security issues. It might also convince authorities and big enterprises to start using Zoom for video conferencing once again.
Governments around the world have encouraged key personnel to not use Zoom for video meetings. Some educational institutions have also banned Zoom for conducting class. Google has banned all employees from using the service for video meetings. With the new version, all of these users might return to using the service once again. Zoom recently created a security council to address these issues. It seems to be acting faster than previously thought. The company says Zoom 5.0 will be a manual upgrade but we need to wait and see how the upgrade goes.
