Host a more secure meeting and handle disruptions
Zoom meetings have robust security settings enabled by default. As the host of a meeting, you have access to additional settings and controls that you may wish to take advantage of for an even safer experience.
NOTE: If you do not see a feature mentioned here, please update your Zoom desktop or mobile app to the latest version.
On this page:
Go to your Zoom account and review settings
1. Sign into the Zoom web portal
- Sign into the Zoom web portal
- Click Sign in (Configure Your Account)
- Enter your UBITName and password
- On the left, click Settings
2. Review the following settings:
Note: As of 1/25/21, every new meeting you schedule must have one of three security measures: a passcode, a waiting room, or only authenticated users can join.
The Waiting Room allows you to monitor and choose who can enter a meeting (you are able to “Admit all” if you have a very large group). If you have not required a passcode to your meeting, Waiting Room is enabled. If you have required a passcode, the Waiting Room is not enabled. For an extra layer of security, you may choose to enable the Waiting Room even if a meeting has a passcode.
Note: This option can be changed at the time you schedule your meeting.
Changing this to On makes it harder for someone on the phone to disrupt your session.
Even if you require a passcode to your meeting, a "one-click join" link is created that has the encrypted passcode embedded in it, and people who follow the link are admitted without having to enter the passcode. Changing this to Off will require even people following the link to enter the passcode.
When you schedule a meeting you can invite specific, non-UB people to bypass authentication when they join. See How to add authentication exceptions.
This setting limits attendees to people who sign in to Zoom.
- Class sessions: Turn on and choose UB Only (the default; all participants must sign in with a UBITName and password)
- To allow anyone logged into any Zoom account (not just UB) to join a session: Turn on and choose Sign in with Zoom
Note: This option can be changed at the time you schedule your meeting.
Select the default amount of time participants can join before a meeting.
Keep this feature off if you:
- have pre-assigned breakout rooms
- record the meeting automatically
- schedule meetings on behalf of someone else
Turn off if you:
- Pre-assign breakout rooms
- record the meeting automatically
- schedule meetings on behalf of someone else
By default, participants are permitted to share files in Chat. You can turn off this feature, or choose specific file types that can be shared.
By enabling Focus Mode, both the host and co-hosts can see all attendees. However, all other participants can only see the host, as everyone else appears as a black screen and corresponding name.
- To apply this feature before a meeting begins, go to Options > Enable Focus Mode when meeting starts
- To apply after a meeting begins, click on the 3 dots (More), and select Start Focus Mode
Check Only the user who is sharing can annotate. This prevents anyone but the presenter from annotating.
Note: This feature can be enabled or disabled during a meeting.
By default, only hosts (including co-hosts) can share their screens.
During screen sharing, the person who is sharing can allow others to control the shared content. You can turn off this feature to prevent anyone from requesting control during a screen share.
Keep this turned off so participants you remove cannot rejoin the meeting.
By default, meeting participants and webinar panelists may not change their display names. Keep this feature off if you are concerned that people may choose inappropriate names.
If you enable this setting, all participant profile pictures will be hidden and only the names of participants will be displayed on the video screen.
You can create rooms and assign participants manually or with a CSV file. All attendees must sign in to the Zoom desktop or mobile app using their UBITName and password to be automatically moved to a breakout room when opened. Do not enable Join before host and also pre-assign breakouts!
Note: You can only pre-assign breakouts in the web portal or the UB Learns Zoom tool.
When on, there is potential for an attendee to have an inappropriate virtual background picture or video. You may turn this feature off.
You can turn off this feature if you feel these "fun" filters will be distracting.
Handling disruptions during a meeting
By default, participants' audio and video are OFF at the start of the meeting, and participants can turn their audio and video ON at any time after the meeting starts.
Use the Participants panel to access the following actions for all or individual participants.
Mute all audio
- Click the Participants button located in the meeting controls.
- Click Mute All
- Uncheck Allow participants to unmute themselves
Mute a participant's audio
- Click the Participants button located in the meeting controls.
- Hover over a participant and click Mute.
Stop a participant's video
- Click the Participants button located in the meeting controls.
- Hover over a participant and click More.
- Click Stop video.
Remove a participant
- Click the Participants button located in the meeting controls.
- Hover over a participant and click More.
- Click Remove.
Send a participant to the Waiting Room
- Click the Participants button located in the meeting controls.
- Hover over a participant and click More.
- Click Put in Waiting Room.
Disable chat for participants
- Click the Chat button located in the meeting controls
- Click the three-dot menu
- Choose who a participant can chat with:
- No one
- Host only
- Everyone publicly
- Everyone publicly and directly
Note: The host and co-host can always chat to anyone in the meeting
Lock the meeting
- Click the Security button located in the meeting controls.
- Click Lock Meeting to keep anyone else from joining the meeting
Suspend participant activity
Mutes all video and audio, stops screen sharing, disables participant chat, and pauses recording.
- Press the Host tools button (shield) in the meeting controls.
- Choose Suspend participant activities.
Reporting inappropriate behavior in Zoom
During a meeting
- Remove a disruptive person by clicking the More menu next to their name, on their video or in the participant panel, and choosing Remove.
- Report and remove a disruptive person by clicking the meeting information (shield) icon. Choose the name, select the reason for reporting and click Submit. You can choose to include a screenshot of your desktop if it helps demonstrate the disruption.
After a meeting
It may be too stressful to make a report during a meeting. To report someone to Zoom after the fact:
- Sign into the Zoom web portal and follow the instructions provided by Zoom.
Reporting to parties at UB
You or other meeting participants can also report the incident to the following parties at UB:
- The Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
- Your department’s IT support team
- Your department chair
Need help? Contact the UBIT Help Center or your departmental IT support.