Moriah College Zoom lessons hacked by teens with bong, white powder

Two teens managed to access the Zoom online lessons at an exclusive Sydney college, with one smoking a bong while the other cut up white powder with a credit card. Watch the video

Parents have been urged to stay on top of their children’s online learning after two teenage “Zoom Bombers” crashed Moriah College’s online lessons and proceeded to light up a bong and cut an unidentified white powder with a credit card.

Footage of the two incidents, one of which occurred during a Jewish Studies class, was widely shared by students from the Queens Park college last week after the bold pranksters upset teachers, students and ­parents alike.

The Sunday Telegraph understands the perpetrators are both known to the school, with one a former student of the exclusive Jewish school.

The pranks, a continuation of the disruptive “Zoom Bombing” phenomenon that played havoc with video conferences around the world last year at the height of the pandemic, has highlighted the vulnerability of the elite private school’s online classrooms.

One source on Saturday said it had prompted an urgent revision of security protocols concerning the distribution of online classroom invitations.

A teen managed to ‘Zoom bomb’ a Moriah College online lesson.

The teen then places white powder on a Simpsons tray.

In the footage, pixelated by The Sunday Telegraph to protect the identities of young students seen in the frame, a teacher can be heard threatening to “stop my lessons immediately, immediately … so if you know who the person is, you’d better get them out” as an individual lights up a bong.

The teacher in the vision was identified as the school’s Jewish Studies teacher Hilary Kahn.

In the audio accompanying the vision the pranksters also use offensive language.

Online learning expert Sue Bennett said software schools rely on during lockdown could be accessed by outsiders.

Another teen boy starts smoking a bong during the Zoom lesson.

The male is using a credit card to cut the white powder.

A close-up of the bong.

“We can be very confident in the quality and the protections of these platforms but they aren’t entirely foolproof,” University of Wollongong Professor Bennett said.

“Moriah College will get to the bottom of this but it is an important reminder to young people about protecting themselves online.

“If young people share their credentials, even to someone they trust who turns out to be untrustworthy … the platforms can be accessed by those outside of schools. But I think this is a rare, isolated incident.”

In an email sent to parents of high school students at the K-12 college on Friday, the school warned: “Anyone … involved in these activities that we treat violations of these rights and of our Code of Conduct and policies very seriously.”

It is understood the college has begun investigating the introduction of encrypted passwords and pre-approved access links.