Increasingly popular among telecommuting workers and students, Zoom is not all meetings, fun backgrounds, and online happy hours. The recent surge in Zoom usage has made this video conferencing software a prime target for crafty cybercriminals.

Currently, there are few cases of Zoom-related malware, but given the 21% increase in active Zoom users in February alone, exploits are almost inevitable. The number is likely to increase further in March, when telecommuting reached three-quarters of the U.S. population. [At the same time, the number of registrations of domains containing the word "zoom" is increasing. According to a new report from Check Point Research (via Bleeping Computer), "more than 1,700 new domains have been registered this year, with 25% of those registered in the past week."

Check Point Research found that 4% of new Zoom-related domains had "suspicious characteristics." This means that there are at least a few malicious vendors trying to profit from Zoom's popularity. [These fake domains are most likely posing as variations of zoom.us, the official website for downloading Zoom to your computer. Some of the suspect pages may have been launched in hopes of tricking unsuspecting users into installing malware on their devices.

While a large-scale malware attack targeting Zoom users has not yet occurred, there are signs that hackers are testing the possibility. Check Point Research scanned Zoom's new domain and detected a malicious file with a name such as "zoom-us-zoom#####.exe" (the pound sign represents a random number).

Downloading this .exe file could cause a potentially unwanted application called InstallCore to run on the victim's computer and install additional software without the user's knowledge.

Zoom is not the only software targeted by cybercriminals. Check Point Research has also discovered numerous phishing sites for other digital communication platforms such as Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams.

If you have already downloaded Zoom to your device, you do not need to visit the Zoom website to use the video conferencing platform. Regularly update your computer's built-in security software and check for the best antivirus software for additional protection.

If you are using Zoom for the first time, make sure you are downloading directly from zoom.us. Do not try to download Zoom applications from other websites. The same goes for other video conferencing software.

Be suspicious of any email or file you receive from an unknown sender. Common flags include misspelled words, poor grammar, the addition of random numbers, and offers of sales or discounts.

For example, if you get an email from z00m.us1 that says, "Download Zoom now and get a $100 gift card!" ", that's bad news. Report it as spam.

Then, don't click on any attachments or links in the suspicious email. If you are new to telecommuting and are not sure if the email is from your organization, ask your IT team for guidance.

You can also learn how to delete Zoom if you want to terminate its services altogether.

For tips on keeping your network, devices, and personal information safe during a coronavirus outbreak, see our Advice Guide on Coronavirus Scams.