New York City bans Zoom in schools, citing security concerns

[Burnt Reynolds 5,058]

More Zoom and related news (Google Hangouts security issues, competitor to Zoom bought by Verizon, etc.):

 

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/india-bans-government-use-of-zoom-over-security-concerns

India bans government use of Zoom over security concerns

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/11/singapore-bans-teachers-using-zoom-after-hackers-post-obscene-images-on-screens

Singapore bans teachers using Zoom after hackers post obscene images on screens

‘Very serious incidents’ have forced suspension from online schools as conferencing app faces renewed questions over security

 

https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/zoom-not-a-safe-platform-says-mha-advisory-spacex-google-bans-use-120041700291_1.html

Zoom not a safe platform, says MHA advisory; SpaceX, Google ban use

 

https://www.techradar.com/news/more-top-companies-ban-zoom-following-security-fears

More top companies ban Zoom following security fears

• As usage of Zoom rises amidst the global pandemic, more companies are telling their staff to stay off the video conferencing service due to security concerns.
• Among the latest organisations to block the use of Zoom are German industrial giant Siemens, which sent out an internal circular urging its employees to not use the tool for video conferencing, with Standard Chartered Bank also issuing a similar note to its staff. 
• The latter has told employees to avoid Google Hangouts, which has also emerged as another popular teleconferencing application in recent weeks.

https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2020/04/roseburg-public-schools-suspends-zoom-lessons-after-graphic-content-displayed-during-hacking-incident.html

Roseburg Public Schools suspends Zoom lessons after graphic content displayed during ‘hacking’ incident

• Roseburg Public Schools is suspending all planned video conference lessons after an incident Monday where an unknown person took control of a middle school class session and displayed graphic content.
• "We are deeply disheartened by this incident, and the district is investigating," a message on the school district's Facebook page said Monday evening. "At this time, we do not know who is responsible for hacking the platform. The teacher leading the class discussion had followed safety protocols for online lessons and was unable to control the screen once it was hacked."

https://www.forbes.com/sites/leemathews/2020/04/13/500000-hacked-zoom-accounts-given-away-for-free-on-the-dark-web/#1c5dc18758c5

500,000 Hacked Zoom Accounts Given Away For Free On The Dark Web

 

https://www.wisn.com/article/milwaukee-hackers-hijack-zoom-meeting-on-absentee-ballots/32120041

Hackers hijack Zoom meeting on Milwaukee absentee ballots

Hackers hijacked a Zoom conference call Sunday afternoon held by the Milwaukee Board of Election Commissioners.

 

https://au.sports.yahoo.com/swimming-scotland-zoom-session-hacked-horrific-content-025705792.html

Children see 'horrific' content after online swimming workout hacked

• Scottish Swimming has called in police to investigate the ‘horrific’ and ‘disturbing’ hacking of a public online workout with athletes.
• Scottish Swimming had organised the virtual session on popular app Zoom in a way for the public to connect with their favourite stars.
• However the live stream, which was reportedly being watched by a number of children, was ‘compromised with abusive content’ from an unknown third party.

 

https://padailypost.com/2020/04/13/palo-alto-city-council-meeting-zoom-bombed/

Palo Alto City Council meeting Zoom Bombed

• Palo Alto City Council tonight became the latest government body to be hit with profanities over the teleconferencing platform Zoom.
• During a discussion of council’s environmental goals, the public was invited to chime in. While former Planning Commissioner Arthur Keller was speaking, somebody started talking over him repeatedly saying “Praise Kek.” Kek is the deity of a religion the white nationalist movement has created, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
• Then the caller made a raspberry sound and yelled the n-word before his mic was cut. The caller sounded like a teenage boy.

 

https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/16/21223454/verizon-bluejeans-video-zoom-conferencing-rivals

Verizon is buying BlueJeans, one of Zoom’s videoconferencing rivals

• Verizon announced on Thursday that it has entered into an agreement to acquire videoconferencing and event platform BlueJeans Network. The companies did not announce the terms of the deal in a press release, but The Wall Street Journal reports that Verizon will pay less than $500 million for the company, which has some 15,000 business clients.
• Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg said on CNBC on Thursday that Verizon has been looking BlueJeans for about a year, and he thinks his company’s distribution will allow BluJeans to better compete with Zoom and others. Vestberg reiterated that BlueJeans will be built into Verizon’s 5G network. “Ultimately videoconferencing and video will be enormously important in 5G,” he said.
• But unlike Zoom, Verizon is also a national internet service provider. Its purchase of BlueJeans opens the door to potential net neutrality concerns of Verizon prioritizing its own videoconferencing software for Fios customers over competitors like Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

More info on the above:

https://moneyandmarkets.com/verizon-acquisition-of-bluejeans-means-big-competition-in-video-conferencing/

Verizon Acquisition of BlueJeans Means Big Competition in Video Conferencing

• Verizon’s acquisition of BlueJeans Network Inc. puts it square in the middle of a sector that has exploded as millions of Americans are forced to work remotely due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
• The deal — which is for less than $500 million — increases the arsenal for Verizon Communications Inc. as it heads to battle with other carriers in the 5G revolution.
• BlueJeans is a direct competitor to video conferencing giant Zoom Video Communications Inc. However, Blue Jeans aims its products at businesses rather than consumers.
• It has around 15,000 customers and is not free to use like Zoom and Microsoft Corp. chat app Skype are.
• BlueJeans already counts Facebook Inc., LinkedIn and Zillow as some of its customers. That gives Verizon access to large companies from the start.

 

Not a good week for Zoom. What's surprising is not only are some schools still holding classes on this platform, but sensitive elections hearings and god knows what else. People need to wise up.

 

Many platform creating companies only dream of getting this kind of attention, Zoom wins this proverbial lottery and gets it and instead of success all that's revealed is how wretched their security is. Massive opportunity lost by taking shortcuts.. should sound familiar.

Edited April 17, 2020 by Burnt Reynolds

[TBoneTX 44,379]

3 hours ago, Burnt Reynolds said:

some schools still holding classes on this platform

Have an imminent caucus with Mini-B.'s teechurs on Zoom.