Zoom provides multiple security settings to protect meetings from disruptions, with features designed to prevent unauthorized access, control participant behavior, and quickly respond to interruptions. These tools include pre-meeting configurations like waiting rooms, passcodes, and authentication requirements, as well as in-meeting controls such as participant removal, screen sharing restrictions, and chat management. Most disruptions can be mitigated by enabling default security options like the Waiting Room, locking meetings after all attendees join, and limiting screen sharing to hosts only. For high-risk meetings, additional layers like requiring registration, disabling annotation, and muting participants on entry further reduce vulnerabilities.

• Pre-meeting protections: Waiting rooms, passcodes, and authentication requirements block unauthorized entry ^[2][5][7].
• In-meeting controls: Hosts can remove disruptive participants, lock meetings, and restrict screen sharing or chat ^[2][4][8].
• Default security upgrades: Zoom Version 5+ includes a Security button for quick access to controls like muting all participants or disabling video ^[4].
• Post-disruption actions: Hosts can suspend meeting activities, report incidents, and adjust settings for future sessions ^[6][10].

Essential Zoom Security Settings for Disruption Prevention

Pre-Meeting Configuration: Blocking Unauthorized Access

The most effective way to prevent disruptions is to configure security settings before the meeting begins. Zoom’s scheduling options allow hosts to enforce authentication, require passcodes, and control entry points through waiting rooms. These measures create multiple layers of defense against unauthorized participants, commonly referred to as "Zoom bombing." For example, enabling the Waiting Room feature ensures that only approved attendees can enter, while passcodes add an additional verification step. Authentication requirements further restrict access to verified users, such as those with institutional accounts.

Key pre-meeting security settings include:

• Waiting Room: Enabled by default in Zoom Version 5+, this feature holds participants in a virtual lobby until the host admits them. It is particularly useful for public or large meetings where uninvited guests are a higher risk ^[4][5][7].
• Passcode protection: Meetings should always require a passcode, ideally a 10-character string for added complexity. This prevents unauthorized users from joining even if they obtain the meeting ID ^[5][7][8].
• Authentication requirements: Restricting meetings to authenticated users—such as those with organizational accounts—significantly reduces the risk of disruptions. For example, Stanford recommends enabling "Only authenticated users can join" to limit access to verified participants ^[7][8].
• Avoid Personal Meeting IDs (PMI): Using a unique meeting ID for each session instead of a PMI prevents recurring disruptions, as PMIs can be reused and targeted by bad actors ^[7][10].
• Disable "Join Before Host": This setting ensures the host is present to manage security before participants enter, preventing early disruptions ^[5][7].

Institutions like UC Davis and Wharton emphasize tailoring these settings based on the meeting’s audience. For internal meetings, hosts might require institutional authentication, while public events may rely more heavily on waiting rooms and registration ^[6][10]. The Cornell IT checklist further recommends turning off participant video upon joining and muting all attendees on entry to minimize initial disruptions ^[9].

In-Meeting Controls: Managing Active Disruptions

Even with pre-meeting protections, disruptions can still occur once a session is underway. Zoom provides real-time security tools accessible via the Security button in the meeting toolbar (introduced in Version 5+), allowing hosts to quickly mute participants, disable video, or remove intruders ^[2][4]. The most critical in-meeting controls include:

• Lock the meeting: Once all expected participants have joined, hosts can lock the meeting to prevent additional attendees from entering. This is especially useful for sensitive or high-profile sessions ^[2][8].
• Remove and report participants: The Security menu allows hosts to eject disruptive users and, if necessary, report them to Zoom for further action. Stanford and Wharton both highlight this as a first-response tactic ^[7][10].
• Mute all participants: Hosts can globally mute attendees to stop audio disruptions, with options to prevent them from unmuting themselves. This is a default recommendation from multiple institutions, including Notre Dame and Cornell ^[2][9].
• Restrict screen sharing: Limiting screen sharing to the host or designated co-hosts prevents unauthorized content from being displayed. Zoom Version 5+ defaults to host-only sharing, but this can be adjusted during the meeting if collaboration is needed ^[4][8].
• Disable chat or annotations: For meetings where participant interaction isn’t required, hosts can turn off chat functions or annotation tools to prevent spam or offensive content. The eLDIG guidelines specifically recommend disabling chat by default ^[4][8].

Advanced in-meeting tools also include the ability to suspend participant activities, which temporarily halts all video, audio, and screen sharing until the host re-enables them. This feature, noted by UC Davis and Wharton, is useful for regaining control during severe disruptions ^[6][10]. Additionally, hosts can assign co-hosts to share management responsibilities, ensuring faster responses to issues ^[6][9].

For recurring disruptions, hosts should document incidents and adjust future meeting settings. Wharton advises reporting severe cases to institutional security teams, while Zoom’s own support resources recommend reviewing participant lists and entry logs to identify patterns ^[10]. Post-meeting actions might include communicating with attendees about conduct expectations or modifying authentication requirements for future sessions ^[4][6].