Video app warning after Scottish Swimming call hacked

The session displayed indecent images to hundreds of viewers.

Published 15th Apr 2020

Cyber security experts are warning not to share details of group video calls on social media.

It's after Scottish Swimming had its online training session hacked early yesterday morning. (Tuesday 14th April 2020).

A statement on their website says, "At the end of last week we shared information about a shared workout across our social media platforms, asking those interested in participating to log into a link that was shared publicly.

"Unfortunately the link was ‘Zoom-bombed’ with disturbing content shared with circa 300 people that had signed in to the event. The video was immediately shut down and the incident referred to the police and their cyber-crime unit. We apologise to everyone involved and deeply regret the outcome of today’s event.

"Scottish Swimming will continue to support and engage with our aquatic community during this time in isolation and have started a full review of the process undertaken along with consideration of security measures across all platforms, in order to put in place measures to prevent any further incidents of this nature happening again.

"At a time when the aquatics community was pulling together and supporting one another so positively, it is very upsetting to have a minority cause upset and distress during the lockdown."

David Emm is a researcher with cyber security firm Kaspersky. He says, "When you're setting a meeting up and then send the invitation out, if that's accessible via social media other people can see that.

"There are things you can do. For example if you are the host of the meeting you can set it up so you are the only person who can control the screen. You can also set up a virtual waiting room where anyone who joins will be until they are approved to join the actual call.

"Cyber criminals are very quick to jump on any kind of topical issue. And the thing with coronavirus is we are stuck with this for quite a substantial amount of time. "