Risk Update

Zoom Zoom — Conferencing, Collaboration & Confidentiality Concerns

A few weeks ago, Zoom seemed to be poised to achieve “Ketchup/Kleenex/Xerox”-like brand status as a verb, offering convenient collaboration in a way that appealed to the remote working world. Now several shoes are dropping as security concerns are driving serious repercussions. While not our standard conflicts fare, this all seemed worth a consolidated review.

Today’s latest: “Elon Musk’s SpaceX bans Zoom over privacy concerns – memo” —

  • “Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX has banned its employees from using video conferencing app Zoom, citing “significant privacy and security concerns,” according to a memo seen by Reuters, days after U.S. law enforcement warned users about the security of the popular app.”
  • “SpaceX’s ban on Zoom Video Communications Inc illustrates the mounting challenges facing aerospace manufacturers as they develop technology deemed vital to national security while also trying to keep employees safe from the fast-spreading respiratory illness.”
    “NASA, one of SpaceX’s biggest customers, also prohibits its employees from using Zoom, said Stephanie Schierholz, a spokeswoman for the U.S. space agency.”
    “Investigative news site The Intercept on Tuesday reported that Zoom video is not end-to-end encrypted between meeting participants, and that the company could view sessions.”

(Having performed a cursory search to identify firms who have recently represented SpaceX, I note several familiar names. Curious if SpaceX or others are extending guidelines to address conference tools.)

In related Zoom news, see:

(Of course, some of us are curious when client and firm attention will be turned to Microsoft Windows Telemetry and data gathering on that front… But that’s a post and discussion for another day…)