Zoom announces 5.0 update with tougher encryption and new security features

“…a key milestone in our 90-day plan to proactively identify, address, and enhance the security and privacy capabilities of the Zoom platform.”

What you need to know

• Zoom has today announced a big new update to its platform.
• Zoom 5.0 will bring support for AES 256-bit GCM encryption.
• Zoom’s CEO says “this is just the beginning” on making its platform the most secure platform there is.

Zoom has today announced its new 5.0 update, bringing robust new security features including AES 256-bit GCM encryption.

In a blog post, Zoom stated:

Today we announced robust security enhancements with the upcoming general availability of Zoom 5.0, a key milestone in our 90-day plan to proactively identify, address, and enhance the security and privacy capabilities of the Zoom platform. By adding support for AES 256-bit GCM encryption, Zoom will provide increased protection for meeting data and resistance against tampering.

On the announcement, CEO Eric S. Yuan said:

I am proud to reach this step in our 90-day plan, but this is just the beginning. We built our business by delivering happiness to our customers. We will earn our customers’ trust and deliver them happiness with our unwavering focus on providing the most secure platform.”

Zoom says that AES 256-bit GCM encryption will “raise the bar for securing our users’ data in transit”, providing “confidentiality and integrity assurances on your Zoom Meeting, Zoom Video Webinar and Zoom Phone Data.” The systemwide enablement of this new security standard will take place on March 30.

Zoom has also introduced a new security icon, where it has grouped its security features in one place within Zoom’s meeting menu bar. It has also introduced more robust host controls, including a ‘report a user’ feature. Waiting rooms now default to on, as do meeting passwords and cloud recording passwords. Zoom has also introduced a new data structure for linking contacts within larger organizations. Previously, a Zoom feature designed to group users by domain name had seen thousands of random users grouped together, sharing lots of information with strangers.

Zoom has also enhanced its dashboard to show how meetings connect to data centers. You can read the full blog post and all of Zoom 5.0’s new features here. Zoom 5.0 is available for download now.