Through the rise of Zoom, Teams and other video platforms during the past twelve months, hackers are learning they do not have to go after businesses that are heavily protected to be successful.
Some rogue actors are assessing videos in order obtain personal information about people that can be used for nefarious activities. For example, hackers are now targeting homes, personal email addresses and cell phones.
In 2020, the FBI warned of “meeting-bombers” gaining unauthorized access to video conference meetings through both Zoom and Cisco Webex.
Due to the extent of the problem, people need to be aware of what they are sharing while on video calls, especially in a work setting.
Personal documents such as college diplomas, invitations, bills or even a holiday card can disclose more information than you would normally share with colleagues, clients or vendors. According to Dr. Jason Nurse, Associate Professor of Cybersecurity at the University of Kent, in a note posted on his security bog, “the variety of information that may be exposed in such contexts is endless”.
According to Mat Newfield, chief security infrastructure officer for Unisys it is important to remember that everyone on the other side of the screen is not your friend. You should not give them the level of personal information that you would a friend or a family member.
Newfield tells Digital Journal: “Time and time again we’re seeing people’s personal information being exposed. All you need to do is take a look at what’s in the background during people’s virtual meetings.”
He cautions: “There are a number of things criminals look for which show up in the background including family information, pictures, names and locations, or bills with personal information.”
Based on this it would seem sensible to blur the background or to use an alternative backdrop,this can add a degree of personal privacy when working from a home environment. Most video conferencing programs allow the user to change their background from what is really there to something else entirely.
