The popular video conferencing platform has introduced two-factor authentication for all its users. Here's how to activate it and what are the advantages
Zoom is one of the most popular videoconferencing platforms in recent months. Its success is also linked to the spread of smartworking, the working mode that many companies have relied on especially during the Covid-19 health emergency.
The software can in fact be used for different purposes, for example it allows you to organize and manage a meeting remotely in an easy and safe way. To increase the level of privacy, the company decided to implement a new feature: two-factor authentication (2FA). Users who want to access the platform and use its features will have to enter not a simple password but two credentials, which will allow to establish their identity in a certain way. L’idea è nata dopo svariati tentativi di violazione della privacy da parte di intrusi e hacker in tante videoconferenze in tutto il mondo.
Come abilitare l’autenticazione a due fattori su Zoom
Non potendo recarsi in ufficio, molti professionisti durante il lockdown hanno organizzato riunioni, colloqui, webinar e altri appuntamenti da remoto affidandosi a Zoom. La piattaforma è infatti molto facile da usare e si adatta alle esigenze aziendali più disparate. Tuttavia, ha dimostrato di avere diverse falle legate alla sicurezza e alla privacy. Per tale motivo si è deciso di attivare l’autenticazione a due fattori
Per attivarla, basta accedere alla propria area riservata su Zoom e, nello specifico, nella sezione Profilo, dove appaiono tutti i dati personali dell’utente. Qui, scorrendo verso il basso, appare la voce "Two-factor Authentication". Se non è mai stata modificata, la voce è impostata su "turned off" (disabilitata). To enable it, click on the "turn on" button.
A pop-up window will appear asking you to enter your password. Next, the system asks you to choose the TOTP solution to be used between Authentication App and SMS. As for the first choice, you can download either Google Authenticator (for Android and iPhone) or Authenticator (to be used on Windows Phone 7) for the second choice instead you need to enter the phone number, where each time you log in you receive the unique code via SMS.
Furthermore, you can enable 2FA for all users who share the account or only for those who have a specific role. After you're done with the process, just click "Save" and you're done. From now on, using Zoom features will require passing the double check.
Two-factor authentication on Zoom: what are the benefits
Two-factor authentication brings several benefits to Zoom users. The first is related to increased security. The risk of identity violation is reduced. Therefore, it becomes impossible to access an account by illegal means, such as stealing a password.
Furthermore, the feature allows companies to comply with regulations and obligations related to privacy and protection of sensitive employee and customer data. Among the advantages, the low cost also stands out. In fact, the solution is particularly suitable for SMBs because it allows them to increase security without the need for an expensive single sign-on (SSO) service.
Finally, it allows for easier access management, thanks in part to support for Time-Based One-Time Password (TOTP) authentication apps, such as Google Authenticator.