Miami U. notifies FBI after student group’s Zoom presentation is hacked

OXFORD — A hacker seized hosting controls of a Zoom call and took over a Miami University business fraternity’s presentation with an image of a swastika, verbal threats and homophobic and racist pre-recorded audio, the Miami Student is reporting.

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The fraternity, Pi Sigma Epsilon, took to Instagram to acknowledge the act, which reportedly occurred Aug. 27, calling it abhorrent and heinous, the student newspaper reported.

“No one should have to experience such blatant acts of hatred,” the social media post said.

University President Gregory Crawford, in a university-wide email Aug. 28, called the acts “beyond contemptible.” He said the incident did not fall under freedom of speech protections and the university’s IT department was investigating it.

Crawford also wrote that the university had notified the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force with the intention to pursue criminal prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.

It is still unclear if the individual or group of individuals is an affiliate of the university, the Miami Student reported.

Michelle Thomas, director of business organizations and diversity, was the lead administrator on the hacked Zoom meeting. As a Black woman, Thomas said she felt “targeted.”

She said, “We were almost done, and someone took over. It was nothing like I would have expected. It happened so fast.”

Thomas told the Miami Student she got out her cellphone and began recording and told the hacker she was recording and advised the host not to close the meeting.

The audio and imagery continued for almost a minute, the newspaper reported.

Randy Hollowell, manager of IT communications & customer advocacy for the university, said the IT department is investigating who took control and how. Beginning this week, every Miami Zoom session must have a passcode, he said. Webex has been using this protocol already.

Hollowell also suggested that whoever creates a Zoom meeting should create a waiting room that allows control of who is allowed into the meeting. He suggested that people not share passwords on social media and watch for unexpected participants as well.

Cox Media Group