Effective Jan. 12, 2021, Zoom has implemented security updates and enhancements requiring that all meetings have passcodes or waiting rooms enabled. This change will not affect telehealth video visits using Zoom.

Security Updates Summary

All Duke Zoom users must have one of the following security features enabled effective Jan. 12th:

• Waiting Rooms: This is the default option. If passcodes are not enabled, waiting rooms will be automatically enabled.
• Passcodes: If your preference is to add a passcode for meetings, instructions below (under “Passcodes” section) provide guidance on how to add passcodes to existing and new meetings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I don’t have a waiting room or passcode enabled by Jan. 12th?

• If neither is enabled, Zoom will enable a waiting room for your meetings.

If I already have a passcode or waiting room enabled, will anything change?

• No, your settings will remain the same, and you can change your security preference at any time.

How does this impact meetings that are already scheduled?

• If a meeting scheduled after Jan. 12th does not have a passcode or waiting room enabled, Zoom will automatically enable a waiting room for that meeting.

Do I need to update the Zoom information for meetings already scheduled after Jan. 12th?

• You only need to update the Zoom information and settings if you do not want meetings to have waiting rooms enabled. The only way to avoid having a waiting room is to assign a passcode to all meetings.

Will these security updates impact telehealth video visits?

• No, Epic-integrated Zoom telehealth visits will not be impacted or change in any way.

Passcodes

How do I assign a passcode to existing meetings?

1. Sign in to duke.zoom.us.
2. Click "Meetings."
3. Select the meeting, and click "Edit." 
4. In the Security section, check the box next to "Passcode."
5. A passcode is automatically generated, or you can set your own passcode. 
6. Click "Save." 
7. You must edit the meeting invitation in Outlook to include the new invite link and resend the invitation to attendees. The passcode is embedded in the new invite link, and attendees can join the meeting by just clicking on the new invite link.

How do I assign a passcode to new meetings?

• Schedule a new Zoom meeting the same as you have in the past, but make sure to select the option to add a passcode in the “Security” section.

How do I know if an invite link already has an embedded passcode?

• Look at the link, and it should have a “pwd=” in the middle. EXAMPLE: https://duke.zoom.us/j/0123456?pwd=YeLRbjDUetRlR

How will passcodes affect participants joining the meeting by phone?

• Your security selection for meetings will not affect phone passcode requirements unless you select “Require a passcode when joining by phone.”

Waiting Rooms

What are waiting rooms, and how do they work?

• The waiting room feature allows the host to control when a participant joins the meeting by placing participants in a waiting room prior to joining the session. It is recommended that you review your waiting room selections and options for "join before host" and which participants to place in the waiting room.

How will waiting rooms affect the host joining the meeting by phone?

• If the meeting has waiting rooms enabled and ‘join before host’ is disabled, then the host will be able to start the meeting and disable the waiting room by entering their host key. The host will hear audio prompts indicating that the waiting room has been disabled, all attendees will be admitted, and they can lock or unlock the meeting by pressing * 5.

Do you schedule Zoom meetings for others?

This section will provide simple guidance for administrative professionals and team members who help manage scheduling meetings on Zoom.

• Determine if meetings will be secured using a passcode or by using a waiting room.
• If using a waiting room, then no additional action is required for existing and new meetings because Zoom will automatically enable waiting rooms for all meetings on and after Jan. 12th unless the user chooses a passcode as the preferred security method.
• • If using a Passcode:
•        a) New Meetings: Schedule a new Zoom meeting the same as you have in the past but make sure to select the option to add a passcode in the “Security” section. A passcode will be automatically generated by Zoom or you can set your own passcode.
•        b) Existing Meetings: If you do not want existing (already scheduled) Zoom meetings to have a waiting room after Jan. 12th, each meeting will need to have a passcode added and the new invite link sent to attendees. The new link will already have the passcode embedded, so attendees can just click the link to join the meeting without manually having to enter the passcode. Follow the steps above under “How do I assign a passcode to existing meetings?” to edit all meetings that are scheduled on or after January 12th.

Need additional help?

Read the "FAQ Meetings Waiting Room and Passcode Requirements" or Zoom instructions for passcodes and waiting rooms.

If you need further assistance, please contact the Duke Health Service Desk at https://dhts.duke.edu or 919-684-2243.