Hacked NYC schools lift ban on Zoom
The New York City school district has reversed its ban on the use of Zoom for remote learning over security concerns after the company took measures to protect students, schools and other users, officials said. But hacking into school-related Zoom events continued in other places.
A virtual graduation ceremony at Oklahoma State University held Saturday on the Zoom platform was hacked by saboteurs who displayed racist and anti-semitic messages, the school said. Another instance of what is known as “Zoombombing” was reported in Ohio, where a Brecksville-broadview Heights School District Board of Education meeting was interrupted by a hacker who displayed child pornography on the screen for several seconds, the district said.
Online security concerns have been growing since schools across the United States closed to try to stem the spread of the coronavirus and students were told to work remotely.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said late last week that Zoom Video Communications had done “substantial work” to ensure users “don’t have to worry while participating in a video call” as they become “more accustomed to our new normal.”
Zoom said in a statement: “We are pleased to have reached a resolution with the New York Attorney General, which recognizes the substantial work that Zoom has completed as part of our 90-day security and privacy plan, including making a number of our pre-existing security features on by default and also introducing new security enhancements.”
The hacking incident at the virtual graduation ceremony of private Oklahoma City University on Saturday appalled school leaders, who said they were “heartbroken and outraged.”
Oklahoma City University President Martha Burger said on Twitter that despite taking security measures, “the virtual celebration of our Class of 2020 graduation was cut short by a horrendous act of racism, bigotry, and anti-semitism.”
New York City, the largest school district in the country, and several smaller districts in the country banned the use of Zoom last month after the FBI issued a warning to the public about the “hijacking” of online classrooms and teleconferences, and teachers in many schools individually stopped using it.
Meanwhile, Brecksville-broadview Heights School District Superintendent Joelle Magyar sent home a letter to parents saying that a board of education meeting on Thursday was hacked by someone who displayed child pornography, WJW reported.
And the Lumberton Township School District in Burlington County, N.J., is suspending its use of Zoom after a class was hacked by someone who displayed pornographic images and used racist language, TNS reported.