With the transition to online course work for students and the use of teleconferencing for those working from home, authorities are warning the public about hackers now targeting the online platforms.

FBI Cyber Security Agent Doug Domin says there has been an uptick in the amount of VTC hijacking cases:

“Others have used the term Zoom-bombing. We refer to it as VTC hijacking. It’s essentially when an intruder joins a meeting whose not invited” Domin said.

In one case, a teacher in Massachusetts was targeted while using Zoom to conduct her class. According to the report, the hacker logged to the feed and began yelling profanities before shouting out the teacher’s full name and address to the class.

In another case, an unidentified person logged into a Zoom meeting classroom and used the camera to display swastika tattoos.

The FBI is recommending that those choosing to use platforms like Zoom change the screen sharing setting to “Host Only,” make their chatrooms private, and to not share the link to the meetings on accounts in which the general public has access to.