SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Your Zoom meetings probably are not as secure as you think they are.
Patrick Jackson, a data and security researcher, found many recorded Zoom calls by searching a specific filename online. He found conversations of businesses showing their profit and loss statements and even some deep therapy sessions.
"When you go into these Zoom meetings and somebody is recording it makes it seem like it's a one-on-one conversation but it's not anymore," Jackson said.
Jackson says Zoom uses the same default filename for everyone, which makes it easy for him to find online. Zoom doesn't host the files, and it's the users who — oftentimes unintentionally — upload them.
“It just goes to show whoever recorded these meetings they likely didn’t mean for this to be public," Jackson said. "But once you record it, and you fail to secure or forget to secure it, who knows what will happen to that file or who may end up watching that video."
ABC10 reached out to Zoom. A spokesperson said the situation happens when hosts who choose to record meetings save or upload them somewhere else other than Zoom.
Zoom said users are notified when someone records a meeting, but if those recordings aren't uploaded to Zoom's storage database, then they're just located on the host's computer.
"Should hosts later choose to upload their meeting recordings anywhere else, we urge them to use extreme caution and be transparent with meeting participants, giving careful consideration to whether the meeting contains sensitive information and to participants' reasonable expectations," a Zoom spokesperson said in an email.
Not only should you be cautious of recorded conversations, but Jackson also advises people to monitor what they're doing on work computers.
Your employer may be watching your habits if you're connected to their network, and if your work requires you to browse websites make sure you’re going to encrypted ones.
"The easiest for you to tell is the greenpad lock when you're visiting," Jackson explained. "If you don't see that you might want to think twice of what you're putting into those."
Patrick also suggests that people to get rid of apps they don't use or do research before downloading another one. Many companies are using outside companies to track users' locations, gather information on their online habits and personal information.
It's something many of agreed to and overlooked in all the fine print. Some companies claim it's to improve the app, but some motives are questionable.
One of the ways people can limit the amount of companies gathering personal is by turning on "limit ad tracking" under the Privacy tab in iPhone settings.
"It's a ticking time bomb," Jackson said. "That's why users really have to take control now, because you don't want to wait six months to a year or even a few years to figure out, 'Oh, that's what they were doing with my data.' We have to stop it now."
Follow the conversation on Facebook with Ananda Rochita.
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