Post by The Cyber Security Hub™

Google is issuing a ban on the use of the Zoom teleconferencing platform for employees. The company is citing security concerns with the app that have arisen since Zoom became one of the most popular services for free video chatting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Google emailed employees last week about the ban, telling workers who had the Zoom app installed on their Google-provided machines that the software would soon no longer function. It is worth noting that Google offers its own enterprise Zoom competitor called Meet as part of its G Suite offering. Even well before the COVID-19 pandemic shined a spotlight on Zoom’s vulnerabilities, the company was facing criticism for lax privacy and security protections, like in July of last year when a macOS flaw allowed a Zoom URL to forcibly activate a MacBook webcam. Since Zoom has emerged as a leading teleconferencing provider during the pandemic, however, the platform’s litany of other issues have been magnified, especially around the ease with which random strangers can locate and jump into Zoom calls. Other issues have included exposed Zoom recordings, undisclosed data sharing with Facebook, exposed LinkedIn profiles, and a “malware-like” installer for macOS.