As more people across the globe rely on videoconferencing applications such as Zoom to work remotely and remain in contact with their friends and family, amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have issued a warning regarding potential hijacking.
The FBI highlighted two incidents in Massachusetts, US, where chats were infiltrated by strangers who proceeded to send inappropriate and pornographic messages or pictures.
The Boston branch of the FBI wrote in a statement:
"As large numbers of people turn to video-teleconferencing (VTC) platforms to stay connected in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, reports of VTC hijacking (also called ‘Zoom-bombing’) are emerging nationwide.
The FBI has received multiple reports of conferences being disrupted by pornographic and/or hate images and threatening language."
Prince Charles has sent a video message to isolated people after beating the coronavirus:"In late March 2020, a Massachusetts-based high school reported that while a teacher was conducting an online class using the teleconferencing software Zoom, an unidentified individual(s) dialed into the classroom. This individual yelled a profanity and then shouted the teacher’s home address in the middle of instruction," the press release detailed.
"A second Massachusetts-based school reported a Zoom meeting being accessed by an unidentified individual. In this incident, the individual was visible on the video camera and displayed swastika tattoos."
NRK also highlighted an incident in Oslo, Norway, where a school was forced to shut down its online video class after a naked man hijacked a session for nine-year-old students. The man was lying on a bed in his underwear, before he reportedly exposed himself and began masturbating. The headmaster is purportedly taking a "very serious" look at what happened, and a police report will be filed.
The FBI is now asking people to exercise "due diligence and caution" when conducting video calls, and have urged them to avoid sharing links to the calls on social media. "Provide the link directly to specific people," they recommended, adding that they should also manage screen sharing options by changing it to "host only", and to only use the updated version of Zoom.
