Phone, Zoom, & Teams Safety Guide

Vishing 

Vishing (voice phishing) is the telephone equivalent of email phishing. Attackers can use voice calls or even AI-generated voice clones to trick victims into revealing sensitive information, transferring money, or installing malware. These “deepfake” voices can sound indistinguishable from the real person, making verification critical. 

How to Handle Vishing 

If you suspect a call is a vishing on a Clark College device, follow these protocols: 

• 1. Hang Up Immediately: Do not engage. If the caller is legitimate, they will likely leave a voicemail. 
     
     
  2. Verify Independently: If the caller claims to be a known contact or company, hang up and call the known number of the contact or the official number listed on the company’s website. Never call the number provided by the suspicious caller. 
     
     
  3. Report the Number: Report the incident to the InfoSec Team by following the steps listed on the Report an Incident page.  
     
     
  4. Block the Number: Use the blocking feature on your phone or in Zoom to prevent future messages from that specific number by following these steps: https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0058630

How to Handle Deepfakes 

Attackers are increasingly using AI to generate realistic voice recordings of executives or family members. To defend against this threat: 

1. • Establish a Verification Code: Create a pre-agreed “safe word” or verification phrase. If the caller cannot provide it, the request is fraudulent. 
   • Secondary Channel Verification: Always verify urgent financial or sensitive requests via a different medium (e.g., a text message or a call to a known internal extension) before acting.  
   • Training: Education others around you that voice alone is no longer proof of identity. 
   • Report the Incident: Always report suspected deepfake incidents by following the steps on the Report an Incident page. 

Smishing 

Smishing (SMS phishing) is the use of text messages to trick recipients into revealing sensitive information, downloading malware, or visiting fraudulent websites.  

Here are some common smishing tactics: 

• • Fake Alerts: Messages claiming your bank account is locked, a package delivery failed, or you have a pending tax refund. 
  • Urgent Warnings: “Your credit card will be canceled if you don’t verify now!” or “Security alert: Unusual login detected.” 
  • Shortened Links: Attackers use URL shorteners (like bit.ly) to hide the true destination of malicious links. 
  • Impersonation: Pretending to be a trusted brand (Amazon, USPS, your bank) or a known contact (a friend asking for help). 

How to Handle Smishing 

If you receive a suspicious text message on a Clark College device, follow these steps to protect yourself: 

1. 1. Do Not Click Links: Never tap on links in unsolicited texts, even if they appear to come from a legitimate source. Hovering isn’t an option often on mobile, so assume the link is malicious until proven otherwise. 
   2. Do Not Reply: Replying with “STOP,” “NO,” or even “Who is this?” confirms to the attacker that your number is active, which can lead to more spam or targeted attacks. 
   3. Verify Independently: If the message claims to be from a company, contact them directly using the official phone number or website listed on their official site. Do not use the contact info provided in the text. 
   4. Block the Number: Use the blocking feature on your phone or in Zoom to prevent future messages from that specific number by following these steps: https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0058630
   5. Report the Message: Report the smishing message by following the steps on the Report an Incident page. 

Video Conferencing 

Zoom-bombing or meeting hijacking occurs when an unauthorized participant joins a private meeting and disrupts it with inappropriate content, harassment, or offensive images. Here are some ways that it happens: 

• • Leaked Links: Meeting invites or IDs shared publicly on social media or forums. 
  • Weak Security Settings: Meetings started without a waiting room, password, or host approval. 
  • Brute Force Attacks: Automated bots guessing meeting IDs to join open sessions. 

How to Handle Zoom-Bombing & Meeting Hijacking 

1. 1. Remove the Intruder: As the host, immediately remove the unauthorized participant from the meeting.
      
      Follow these instructions to remove an intruder in Microsoft Teams: https://support.microsoft.com/en-US/Outlook/remove-a-person-from-a-meeting
      
      Follow these instructions to remove an intruder in Zoom: https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0065566
      
      
   2. Lock the Meeting: Enable “Lock Meeting” (if possible) to prevent anyone else from joining.
      
      Follow these instructions to lock a meeting in Microsoft Teams: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/teams/meetings/lock-a-meeting-in-microsoft-teams
      
      Follow these instructions to lock a meeting in Zoom: https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0061231
      
      
   3. Enable Waiting Rooms: Ensure all future participants must be admitted by the host before entering. 
      
      
   4. Change the Meeting ID: If the link has been compromised, end the current meeting and start a new one with a fresh, unique ID and password. 
      
      
   5. Report Abuse: Report the meeting hijacking incident by following the steps on the Report an Incident page.

Video Conferencing Guidelines 

To prevent Zoom-bombing and meeting hijacking, adopt these habits: 

• • Use Waiting Rooms: Always enable the waiting room feature. This forces the host to manually admit every participant, ensuring no strangers slip in. 
  • Require Authentication: Configure settings to allow only signed-in users (with verified email domains) to join. 
  • Secure the Link: Never post meeting links on public social media, forums, or unsecured websites. 
  • Disable Participant Screen Sharing: By default, restrict screen sharing to the host only. Allow participants to share only if necessary for the agenda. 
  • Mute Participants: Keep participants muted upon entry to prevent background noise or accidental interruptions. 

Contact Us 

General Inquiries: For non-urgent questions, email infosec@clark.edu. 

Report an Incident: To report an information security incident, please visit the Report an Incident page. 

Additional Resources

Report an Incident

Free InfoSec Resources

Changing Your Password

Secure Passwords Guide

Multi-Factor Authentication Guide

Email Safety Guide

Internet Safety Guide

Physical Threats Safety Guide