AU has decided to use Zoom as the primary platform for digital classes and exams. In order to achieve the best IT security, you should always use the official AU Zoom and make sure that you update the Zoom client.

2020.04.20 | Camilla Schrøder

The coronavirus crisis has led to a significant increase in the use of Zoom worldwide, and there have been a number of critical stories in the media about security problems with the solution recently.

AU has just performed a current risk assessment, and the main message to all teaching staff and students is that Zoom may be used for teaching and exams as long as you use the official AU Zoom solution, and as long as you don’t use the solution for anything involving sensitive personal data or confidential data.

AU has an agreement with Zoom through the Danish e-infrastructure Cooperation (DeiC), and this agreement contains all the data protection requirements you would expect in a European agreement.

Søren Broberg Nielsen, DPO at Aarhus University, emphasises that this means that AU's solution is different from the free version that has been mentioned in the media. And it’s absolutely crucial that you use the official AU Zoom solution.

"All employees and students must always use AU's special Zoom solution, which is protected via the agreement with DeiC. On the other hand, you are not allowed to use the free version or to purchase a licence for the standard version from Zoom's own website," Søren Broberg Nielsen explains. He emphasises that DeiC's solution is tailored to the needs of the universities.

Oral exams will take place in Zoom

Zoom is also the digital solution AU will use for digital oral exams. Zoom is the best solution for this purpose for a number of reasons: user-friendliness, stability and not least the special solution that AU can get through DeiC with login via WAYF and in a protected server environment in Scandinavia.

However, you are not allowed to use Zoom for anything that involves sensitive personal data and/or confidential data. For this reason, examiners and co-examiners are not allowed to discuss or assign grades on Zoom. The university is in the process of finding a simple, workable solution for grading, along with the other aspects of planning of digital oral exams.

The identification of other types of examination which might involve sensitive personal data and/or confidential data and how this is to be dealt with will be included in the plan for digital administration of exams that is expected to be ready by 1 May at the latest.

When performing risk assessment on Zoom, AU looks at human, organisational and technical aspects, internally as well as externally. AU’s Zoom risk assessment is updated regularly, and AU is constantly working at both the technical and organisational level to ensure IT security and protection of the rights of registered users in AU’s Zoom solution.

Always use AU’s official Zoom solution

• You can access AU’s official Zoom solution by creating a user profile through Blackboard, zoom.au.dk or aarhusuniversity.zoom.us.
• Keep your Zoom client up to date. Zoom is constantly updating their technology to improve IT security. This means it’s important that you update your Zoom client to the latest version whenever an update is released.
• Never use the free version of Zoom, and do not buy a licence for the standard version from Zoom’s own website.
• Read more about IT security and AU’s Zoom solution on DeiC’s website (in Danish).