Zoom raises encryption level with upgraded meeting app

[BENGALURU] Zoom Video Communications said on Wednesday it was upgrading the encryption features on its video conferencing app to better safeguard meeting data and offer protection against tampering.

The new version of the app, Zoom 5.0, will release within the week, the company said in a statement.

Zoom, which has soared to 200 million daily users from 10 million in less than three months, had faced backlash from users after security researchers found bugs in its codes and the company failing to disclose that its service was not end-to-end encrypted.

The app's issues, including "Zoombombing" incidents where uninvited guests crash meetings, led to several companies, schools and governments to stop using the platform.

The company, which competes with Microsoft Teams and Cisco's Webex has responded by plugging the gaps in security, launching a 90-day plan to improve the app and appointing former Facebook security chief Alex Stamos as an adviser.

Zoom said it has made several changes to its user interface, including offering password protection and giving more controls to meeting hosts to check unruly participants.

To account for criticism that the company had routed some data through Chinese servers, Zoom said an account admin can now choose data centre regions for their meetings.

Zoom shares were up 3 per cent at US$147.35 in early trading. 

REUTERS