Update Your Zoom Rooms for Security Enhancements & GCM Encryption Readiness

With the release from this past weekend, Zoom Rooms now have greater security and privacy host controls. We urge Zoom Rooms admins to update their rooms for these enhanced features, but just as importantly, to meet the minimum requirements of version 5.0 or greater for 256-bit AES-GCM encryption, which will be enabled and required for all meetings on May 30.

Similar to the Zoom client's Security icon, this icon provides meeting hosts the ability to:

• Unlock/lock meetings
• Enable/disable waiting rooms
• Enable/disable in-meeting chat
• Enable/disable participant renaming
• Enable/disable screen sharing
• Remove a participant
• Report a participant

Security Icon Features Shown on Zoom Rooms Controller Security Icon Features Shown on Zoom Rooms for Touch

Upon leaving a meeting, a host is prompted to reassign the host role to another participant within the meeting. If there is a co-host, they will pop up to the top of the list and the rest of the participants will show up in alphabetical order.

If the host of a meeting attempts to unmute a Zoom Room, it will require someone in the room to accept or decline the request on the room controller.  For additional information on the recent release, view our Release Notes. 

• Display non-video participants via their avatar by default 
• Call history will be off by default

Beginning May 30, 2020, all Zoom clients and Zoom Rooms must be on version 5.0 or greater to join any meetings, as 256-bit AES-GCM encryption during transit will be fully enabled for all meetings. Upgrade to the latest Zoom Rooms software in your Zoom Admin Portal for both your room computer and your Zoom Rooms Controller as soon as you can. On May 30, Zoom will cut over all accounts to 256-bit AES-GCM encryption. On June 30, 2020, Zoom Rooms will have 256-bit AES-GCM encryption between Zoom Rooms Controller and Zoom Rooms enabled. Zoom Rooms Controllers (including Zoom Rooms Scheduling Displays) not running the minimum versions will no longer continue to function. Please update your Zoom Rooms Controller software to meet the following minimum versions either manually or by using Zoom Device Management (ZDM) in the admin portal in order to ensure your Zoom Rooms are running properly by June 30, 2020.

• iOS: 4.3.33237.0924
• Android: 4.3.33237.0925
• Windows: 4.3.13234.0925

Customers with third-party SIP and H.323 conference rooms that connect using Zoom’s Conference Room Connector (CRC) will not require any action as this change does not impact third-party device encryption. Zoom has upgraded the cloud-hosted room connector to ensure compatibility with all GCM meetings. Customers with third-party SIP and H.323 conference rooms leveraging the self-hosted Virtual Room Connector (VRC) will need to upgrade the server software to the new version prior to May 30. Customers can update their VRC rooms today by following the instructions in our support article. Please visit our 5.0 IT administrator page for more detailed instructions.

Editor’s note: This blog post was edited on Aug. 2, 2021 to include the most up to date information on Zoom encryption.