October is cybersecurity awareness month. The way things are evolving with technology and artificial intelligence (AI), every month should be about cybersecurity awareness. Hackers are getting more creative in finding areas where data can be exploited. Many video-conferencing platforms have provided an easy solution for doing business, but they can open private conversations to eavesdroppers and even with gated private rooms, they can be breached. Zoom changed their terms and conditions back in March 2023 and many have not noticed that under the new terms, Zoom has the right to use your video, audio, and chat data for its AI programs. While they have stated that Zoom will not use protected content that were already under the protection of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which includes education records or protected health information, your meetings may not be as private and secure as you would like, want, or expect.
Enter Zerify: a US company located in New Jersey that offers solutions to strengthen your cybersecurity posture. One of their products is Zerify Defender, which locks down your microphone, camera, speakers, keystrokes, and more from being accessed. Zerify works on top of your video conferencing application, such as Zoom and Teams to ensure private confidential conversations stay private. Zerify Meet offers robust video conferencing for classrooms that is built with zero-trust architecture. Zerify API provides secure video calling.
Many data breaches are caused by keyloggers which grab user credentials when they are entered into websites and during network logon. Some of the malware can also capture the screen (especially financial malware) and modify the clipboard. With the rise in remote work and video conferencing, the camera, microphone and audio output are increasingly becoming the target of hackers.
School districts must comply with Education Law 2-d part 121 which requires the adoption of the National Institute for Standards and Technology Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity Version 1.1. (NIST Cybersecurity Framework or NIST CSF) as the standard for data security and privacy for educational agencies. The standards require that organizations “prohibit remote activation of collaborative computing devices and provide indication of devices in use to users present at the device.” This pertains to notifying the user when their camera or microphone is accessed. Zerify Defender addresses this requirement by notifying the user when their camera or microphone is accessed and allows them to prohibit their use.
Zerify Defender takes a different approach. Rather than trying to detect malware, it protects the key data that the malware is after – keystrokes, screen shots, clipboard and media. This way, even if the malware escapes detection by anti-virus software, the important data is still protected. By locking down the keystrokes, screen, clipboard, camera, microphone and audio output, Zerify Defender protects the critical data of an endpoint in the event anti-virus software fails to detect malware.
Zerify Defender is endpoint security software for video-conferencing and protects your current video-conferencing infrastructure with military-grade security. The best way to protect your business from cybertheft and hacks is to lock down the paths a hacker would use to enter your device. When Zerify Defender locks your camera, the hacker cannot use your camera without you knowing. When Zerify Defender locks your clipboard, no hacker will be able to see what you have copied and pasted throughout the day.
Often due to limited budgets, a lack of network policy, and insufficient student and staff training in video conferencing technology, education facilities can become victims of cyber-attacks. While cybersecurity in online learning and classroom environments is necessary to protect against financial loss and prevent disruption, it’s also crucial to protect students and faculty and staff from harm. Schools continue to be targets of cybercriminals due to the vast amounts of sensitive student and teacher data. Keeping confidential data private is critical to reducing such threats.
For more information, please visit www.zerify.com