Information about Changes to Zoom for Meeting and Event Planners
January 22, 2021 3:22 PM

Dear Campus Community Members, 

Last week you received a message about changes to the Zoom login process for Spring 2021. As of Tuesday, January 19, 2021, all University of Illinois users should log in to their University of Illinois Zoom account using your university NetID and password through Single Sign-On (SSO) to access University of Illinois Zoom meetings and event. All non-University of Illinois users will need to be signed into Zoom through a free Zoom account to access a University of Illinois Zoom event.   

What changed on January 19? 
To reduce the possibility of Zoombombings the Only Authenticated Users Can Join function in Zoom will be turned on by default for all meetings and webinars created after 7 am on Tuesday, January 19.  Turning this setting on will ONLY prevent anonymous access to meetings. The setting will not limit attendees to Illinois users. Anyone with a Zoom account (either a free account or an account through another university) will be permitted to connect after they sign in to Zoom.  

Specific details about how to sign in to Zoom are included in the original message to the campus community and you can find step-by-step instructions on the page Zoom, Logging In. 

How can speakers and guests from outside of the university join an Illinois Zoom event? 
Non-University of Illinois users, including invited speakers and members of the general public, will need to sign in to Zoom using their free Zoom account. Members of the general public can sign up for an account at https://zoom.us/signup. If a non-University of Illinois participant clicks on a Zoom meeting link without the client installed, the participant will be prompted to install the Zoom client. They can then install it or choose “cancel” and they can join the meeting with a web browser. 

We recommend that you include instructions about university Zoom meeting and webinar requirements in your event information to outside participants and provide directions suggesting that they sign up for a free Zoom account before the event. 

What happens if an attendee does not sign in to Zoom?
For meetings and webinars created after 7 am on January 19th, if an attendee tries to join before signing in to Zoom, they may receive a message: “This Meeting is for Authorized Users Only.” To correct this problem, external participants should log in via their institutional or personal Zoom accounts. University of Illinois users should check that they have signed in through SSO, follow the steps on the page Zoom: Safe, Inclusive and Accessible Space for ALL, then open the meeting again. 

Please note: When creating the Zoom meeting or webinar, event planners will have the option to turn off the Only Authenticated Users Can Join setting manually. In certain circumstances, including events with robust pre-registration processes and Zoom Webinar events, turning this function off may make managing the event easier. However, turning this setting off may open the event up to the potential of Zoombombing and other unwanted disruptions and is not recommended. 

Are there additional ways that I can protect my event from Zoombombing?  
To create events that are both easy to manage and reduce the risk of Zoombombing, we recommend the use of the registration function with manual approvals for attendees in Zoom. For detailed instructions on how to set up your event, please see Zoom, Planning your event.  

We strongly discourage the sharing of Zoom meeting IDs and passwords on flyers, social media, public calendars, and websites. Publicly sharing meeting ids and passwords is an open invitation to intrusions.  

What should I do if I have more questions or concerns?
If you have problems signing in to Zoom, please contact Technology Services Help Desk at consult@illinois.edu or call (217) 244-7000. 

If a Zoombombing does occur during a class or event that you host, please report the incident to the Office for Access & Equity or the Bias Assessment and Response Team. Zoombombing attacks violate the values of the University of Illinois, and no member of our community or event attendee should experience the disrespectful intrusions and harms that these attacks can cause. 

Thank you for your help in creating a safe and inclusive learning environment for all members of the University of Illinois community. These steps will help you to create a safe virtual meeting environment for your students and event participants. 

Sincerely, 

Sean C. Garrick 
Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 

Danita M. B. Young 
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs 

Greg Gulick 
Interim Chief Information Officer