The Rise of the Zoom Bombing

By Neha Gopal

A few days ago, a teen from Madison, Connecticut was arrested for several cyber attacks, including gate-crashing online Zoom meetings. This unwanted virtual intrusion, dubbed “Zoom bombing,” has recently become a phenomenon due to Zoom’s growing popularity. 

The accused disrupted these Zoom sessions using “obscene language and gestures,” according to Madison Police Captain Joseph Race. The teen has been charged with fifth-degree computer crimes and breach of peace.

Just a day before this arrest, an uninvited man exposed himself and shouted obscenities to Berkeley High School students in California during a Zoom meeting with their teacher. “What is especially troubling about this incident is that it appears the teacher followed all the current guidance about security precautions in Zoom,” superintendent Brent Stephens wrote in an email.

A similar instance also occurred in Lafayette, Louisiana, where the city council had to drop Zoom meetings altogether, after residents were unhappy over the vulgar comments made by a Zoom bomber. 

These police interventions are mere band aids for Zoom's enormous security concerns. Due to these hackers wreaking havoc, there has been a recent move away from Zoom to more secure video communication software, such as Microsoft Teams. 

The Coronavirus pandemic forced students and workers into virtual classrooms and workplaces, leading to Zoom’s quick rise to fame. Zoom is free, easy to install, does not require any password, and is admittedly a nifty program. However, Zoom’s user-friendliness and convenience are the roots of its security hiccups. Will Zoom bombers lead to the implosion of Zoom?