Time to Update Your Zoom!

Copyright Zoom

Over the past several months, Zoom was pretty well beaten up due to some security flaws that were discovered in its platform.  This unveiling occurred and became prominent in the public forum, most likely due to the increased use of the service given the COVID-19 pandemic.  Believe it or not, this was a good thing!

The exposure of these flaws gave Zoom an opportunity - it could either sink or swim.  It appears that it decided to swim.  They have added increased encryption, more straightforward means of reporting abusers, the ability to chose data centers (for those concerned about China listening in), increase password security, cloud recording security, and other tweaks.

In the end, it's your call whether you will use this or other platforms.  Your boss, court, or opposing counsel may have a say in this.  But, the deadline to update was May 30, 2020.  If you haven't updated your Zoom to 5.0, you won't be able to participate in Zoom conferences.

Click here to update!

BOLO - If you are using Luna VPN, Adblock Focus or Mobile Data, you may be putting your data at risk!

I was disturbed to read in Buzzfeed that some VPNs and ad blockers are harvesting our data. Recall, VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. Recall last April, I had blogged about the importance of using a VPN when using public Wi-Fi, e.g., a court’s public Wi-Fi, Starbucks, an airport, etc. A reputable VPN will help ensure prying eyes are unable to see into our internet activity or gain access to our computer. This should never come at a cost to the user’s information. Ad blockers are used to prevent “ads” from popping up when we surf on the internet through our web browser.

The company Sensor Tower has made several VPN applications for the iPhone and Android operating systems. But their apps may be doing more than just providing a VPN: “Once installed, Sensor Tower’s apps prompt users to install a root certificate, a small file that lets its issuer access all traffic and data passing through a phone. The company told BuzzFeed News it only collects anonymized usage and analytics data, which is integrated into its products. Sensor Tower’s app intelligence platform is used by developers, venture capitalists, publishers, and others to track the popularity, usage trends, and revenue of apps.” But when you give access like this, you are putting your information and maybe your clients’ confidential information “at significant risk” of exposure to others.

I’d stay away from this developer’s programs. 

And remember, just because it may be “free” does not mean it may come without a price later - a bar complaint for exposing confidential client information!

Let’s be safe out there!