County Use Of Zoom Suspended After Commissioners Meeting Hacked

By Gordon HopkinsJefferson County Commissioners have temporarily suspended live streaming of the weekly commissioners meeting after a meeting was hacked.Zoom is a video conference platform. Commissioners were discussing zoning regulations at a meeting Tuesday morning, April 8, 2025, when the discussion was suddenly interrupted by blaring noises and pornographic images projected on the wall where, normally, those attending the meeting via Zoom would be seen.The Zoom connection was shut off in a matter of seconds and remained off for the remainder of the meeting. Later that day, the county announced it would no longer be live-streaming meetings until an alternative to Zoom can be found.Commissioner Danielle Schwab later confirmed, “No private county systems were compromised — but it was a reminder to stay vigilant.” Schwab posted on her Facebook page, “While it’s been a convenient tool, it no longer meets the security standards we need to protect our systems. Cybersecurity matters — and we’re working hard to find a solution that balances accessibility with safety.”The county primarily used Zoom for live streaming meetings, allowing the public to see public meetings and provide public input.Zoom has a chat function. It was also used for training purposes. Jefferson County’s IT (Information Technology) Department arrived at the meeting shortly after the incident. Brad Eisenhauer told commissioners, “We’ll look into it. I don’t know what kind of reporting we can find on Zoom as far as records of connections, but that is, unfortunately, one of the hazards with those meetings like that, where we email out the link to allow public in.”Commissioners had been looking into alternatives to Zoom even before the hacking incident.Although it is an American company headquartered in San Jose, California, Zoom Communications Inc. has a data center in China and commissioners have expressed concern about cybersecurity.

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