UC ANR uses Zoom for video, phone, and web conferencing. Use the links below to access training, security guidance, and best practices for your meetings.
Zoom Basics
- Use your ANR Portal account to sign in to Zoom.
- Download the Zoom app.
- Make sure you have the proper equipment. See Zoom recommended hardware for guidance, or visit Zoom's getting started resources.
- Contact IT for support: email help@ucanr.edu or call (530) 750-1212.
Zoom Best Practices
The Chief Information Officers of the University of California are closely monitoring Zoom's security and privacy practices. Zoom has been responsive to these concerns, including releasing timely security patches for vulnerabilities.
UC has a system-wide agreement with Zoom that includes the UC Data Security Appendix and a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement, providing stronger privacy protections than Zoom's standard terms.
Privacy and security are a shared responsibility. All users should:
- Install Zoom client software updates as soon as they are available.
- Configure meeting accounts to provide the highest privacy protection for all participants, following your location's published guidance.
Questions? Email help@ucanr.edu or call (530) 750-1212.
Zoom offers several options to keep meetings secure and prevent unwanted guests. Balance usability with the security controls you apply.
Avoid Zoom Bombers
Zoom-bombing occurs when uninvited guests join a meeting to share disturbing content or harass attendees. Most incidents involve publicly shared meeting links. To protect your meeting:
- Do not publish a public link to your event on the web or social media.
- Avoid using your Personal Meeting ID to host events, as this creates essentially one continuous meeting. Instead, create a meeting with a randomly generated meeting ID.
- Require participants to enter a password to join the meeting.
Manage Participants
- Use the Waiting Room to screen guests before admitting them to the meeting.
- Restrict screen sharing: in the host controls, click the arrow next to Share Screen, then Advanced Sharing Options. Under "Who can share?" choose "Only Host." You can also set this as the default in your web settings.
- Mute participants: mute individuals or all participants at once. Enable Mute Upon Entry in your settings for large meetings.
- Disable a participant's video: hosts can turn off video for any participant to prevent distracting or inappropriate gestures.
- Remove unwanted or disruptive participants: in the Participants menu, hover over a participant's name and click Remove. By default, removed participants will not be able to rejoin the meeting.
- Put attendees on hold: temporarily disable video and audio for all other participants while you address an issue.
- Consider enabling and adding a co-host to kick out anyone you don't recognize, especially attendees who don't respond to questions or enter breakout rooms like a normal user would, or attendees with email addresses that end in something other than .edu, .com, .org, etc. Bots will sometimes enter private Zoom meetings to record them without permission and post them to third-party websites.