Zoom Bombing

What is a Zoom Bombing?

• When an unwelcome guest joins a class session that they are not registered for
• May include malicious intent.

What to do?

• Create a response plan
• Communicate the plan to students verbally and in writing
• Share and follow best practices
• Never post a public link or QR code for your meeting or webinar. Reach out to WebConference@dce.harvard.edu if you would like to know how to keep your meeting or webinar secure behind HarvardKey.
  
  

Example of a Response Plan

• Immediately close down the meeting
• Post a Canvas Announcement to explain your plan to students, which, by default, sends students an email as well.

• To Resecure the meeting:

  • Select the first icon on the Class event and then select ”Edit”.

    
  • In the fourth row of the “Edit Event” window select the third button “Resecure"
  
  

Next Steps in a Response Plan 

• Alert Faculty Engagement and Academic Affairs of the event via DCE_AcademicAffairs@fas.harvard.edu

• If needed, report to HUPD [Harvard University Police Department]

• You may continue class in resecured meeting if you choose to.

• You may check in with students and offer them resources: 

  • A Guide on Responding to Online Abuse, Harassment, and Intimidation

  • Office of Student Affairs

  • Harvard Extension School Crimson Folder

Best Practices

• Explore the Harvard Extension School Crimson Folder sections on productive ways to be responsive to students
• At the start of class, we recommend that Course Staff direct students to rename themselves in-meeting to a name that is identifiable to the registered class list or that is known by the Course Staff.  [See "renaming" image below.]

Renaming

• Never post a public link or QR code for your meeting or webinar. Reach out to WebConference@dce.harvard.edu if you would like to know how to keep your meeting or webinar secure behind HarvardKey. 

• If you do have a Guest Speaker, create a Breakthrough link for them to join your class session or ask our Web Conference team to at WebConference@dce.harvard.edu.

• Consider the use of a Waiting Room to choose when and which participants may join. You can turn this on ahead of time in the “Edit Event” window of Gather, or in-meeting under “Host Tools”. Reach out and our Web Conference team can turn on the Waiting Room for your class. 

What is DCE doing to protect us from potential Zoom Bombings? 

• Gather, a tool developed in DCE, adds a layer of security and the option to “Resecure” a meeting
• Across all meetings, Participant Screenshare is off by default
• Across all meetings, File Upload is not available
• Trainings and Consultations are available for course staff.