FBI warns of hackers targeting Zoom users

PHILADELPHIA - The FBI is warning of potential hackers while using Zoom as a form of communication. 

Zoom is making a boom as seen in this promotional video posted on Zoom’s YouTube and Zoom.com. "Businesses are using it. Families are using it."  Zoom is making a boom. Zoom is really one of the number communication systems in the world at this point because we can't get together face-to-face," said tech expert Anthony Mongeluzo.

It’s the way to communicate during the coronavirus epidemic but just as fast as everyone is getting on board so are hackers.

"A lot of people set up zoom meetings and they make them public or they just put it out there and hackers are like hey if I just guess the key code of a meeting that's completely public. I can jump into that meeting and cause havoc," said Mongeluzo who set up a Zoom meeting with me to explain how it can happen.

"That Zoom meeting I sent you in the invitation it says the Zoom meeting ID. It says XYZ number that’s in there. Basically you have hacker that has 100,000 virtual machines he can just code them all to use a different virtual number every time and when one gets a hit it kicks it over to them and they're in there causing chaos."

Mongeluzo says hackers are randomly guessing Zoom numbers to destroy your business meeting or family fun.

"People would hack into the meeting and put vulgar things in there like pornography and just stuff you don't want to see," he said.

 There are some things you can do to protect yourself.

"You can have a password for your meeting. You can have a meeting and send to people that you have to sign up to participate so you're not getting any strangers. There’s the waiting room where basically the host can see who is in the waiting room and then allow them to enter the meeting. It's almost like a bouncer in a club. They can see who is in line. If someone is trouble or not supposed to be in line you don't let them in. It's a private club. You don't let them in. Same thing with your meeting," Mongeluzo added.

The FBI has also issued a warning after getting several reports of Zoom meetings being interrupted with pornographic, hateful or threatening messages. It’s happened with business meetings and schools conducting online classes.

___

For the latest local news, sports and weather, download the FOX 29 News app.

DOWNLOAD: FOX 29 NEWS APP