Don't use Zoom app for work: MHA directs government officials

India's defence minister Rajnath Singh had out photographs of a virtual meeting on April 1 using the video conferencing app Zoom which is a widely used tool during the pandemic-induced lockdown.

However, like many online platforms today, this one too comes with a string of privacy concerns. The Indian government today warned netizens that Zoom is not safe.

The advisory from the ministry of home affairs says that the app should not be used by government offices or officials for work.

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It comes after India's computer emergency response team - the country's top cybersecurity agency had warned users that Zoom is vulnerable to cyberattacks including the risk of data leaks.

The passwords have gone public on Zoom and hackers have invaded into video calls but what if some want to continue to use it?

The cyber coordination center of the MHA has issued a set of guidelines. The measures include private users to protect themselves. According to the guidlenes, one must set a new user ID and password for each meeting and use the "waiting room" feature so that users can enter only when the host allows.

Allowing screen sharing only by the host and not allow removed participants to re-join by disabling the feature and disable the file transfer option if not required.

The guidelines say click on security and then click on lock meeting once all attendees have joined and restricted the recording feature.

The video meetings when over should be ended rather than just left by the host, as well as the participants and remember to sign out when not in use.

Pressure has been mounting on the makers of Zoom, it has already been banned for usage in Germany, Singapore and Taiwan. The firm has admitted that it routed some user data through China, they said it was a mistake and they were coping with the increase in traffic amid the coronavirus fears.

Safety in the online world remains a threat.