HANOI - The Authority of Information Security on April 14 issued a warning, especially to agencies and State-run firms, against the use of the video conferencing app Zoom because of privacy and security concerns.

The coronavirus outbreak saw a rise in popularity for the app in Vietnam, as it could be used for online learning and public meetings. However, over 500,000 Zoom accounts have been compromised, according to the authority under the Ministry of Information and Communications. These Zoom users’ private information, including their e-mail, password, meeting URL and meeting password, have been stolen. The authority noted that Zoom has security loopholes through which hackers can access users’ accounts and enter meetings illegally to spread fake news, steal data and information and install ransomware on users’ computers. The authority also encouraged organizations, residents and agencies to use online learning and conferencing software created by prestigious local firms, such as Viettel, VNPT and MobiFone.