Webinar with Adobe
August 6, 2020 8:16 AM

At work, we want to attend this webinar that requires Adobe Connect/Flash. Our IT dept will not allow this to be installed on work computers. What can we do?

Webinar: https://clu-in.org/conf/tio/mining-reveg/

1. IT depts says "Flash is blocked on computers and networks due to high security risks"
Our IT dept is known for being uncooperative. Is their claim true?

2. Is there another way to access this webinar
posted by falsedmitri to Computers & Internet (15 answers total)
Put together a business case for how your group attending this webinar will benefit the company. Submit it to IT. When IT denies it, send it to IT's boss.
posted by phunniemee at 8:19 AM on August 6, 2020


This seminar will be delivered through Adobe® Connect™ with streaming audio delivered through your computer speakers or headphones.

I believe that the current incarnation of the Adobe Connect meeting application does not involve Flash in any way. Ask them to install just the meeting application, not Flash.
posted by zamboni at 8:30 AM on August 6, 2020


Is their claim true?

Extremely. But as Zamboni notes, Connect is not Flash and that case should be much easier to make.
posted by mhoye at 8:39 AM on August 6, 2020


At the bottom of the page zamboni linked to, there are links to Android and iOS meeting client apps as well. So joining from mobile devices may be an option in case IT can't install the desktop meeting application.
posted by whatnotever at 8:50 AM on August 6, 2020


I think you should be able to do this ... I use Adobe Connect for work meetings regularly and also, in other circumstances, get messages telling me that Flash is blocked on my computer.

I can't say that I understand any of the technical details behind this, but it seems like they are two different things and I know it works for me. Good luck!!
posted by mccxxiii at 9:17 AM on August 6, 2020


Flash should not be installed on anything that doesn't have a business critical function that uses it already. It's unsafe and being end of lifed.

Your IT group may also be resistant to installing random webinar software as well, with fairly good reason from a security standpoint.

The easiest path, assuming you're in a physical office, is to just use a personal device. If there's a projector, if someone has a Chromecast, you can use that to send the content from a phone to the big screen.

There's a web browser only version as well, though it may be something they have to enable.
posted by Candleman at 11:05 AM on August 6, 2020


Is installing a flash player plugin for a browser the same security risk as installing the flash on the computer?
posted by falsedmitri at 12:18 PM on August 6, 2020


Is installing a flash player plugin for a browser the same security risk as installing the flash on the computer?

They are the same thing. Flash runs in the browser.
posted by Candleman at 12:42 PM on August 6, 2020


@Candleman: Ok thanks, I wasn't sure. So IT will not allow installing the flash plugin then.
posted by falsedmitri at 12:48 PM on August 6, 2020


I'm not familiar with Adobe Connect but it looks to me like the Flash version is just a fallback for older browsers. They're not too clear on their page but it seems the client is just a modern webapp that doesn't require you to install anything (and there's also a standalone Connect client).
posted by neckro23 at 1:12 PM on August 6, 2020


The newest versions of Adobe Connect support a straight HTML5 client, basically just using features of modern browsers. It's not as full featured as the Flash and Desktop versions, but should be sufficient for a webinar, and it sounds like it's possible to force use of the HTML client.

It requires the host organization to be running a recent version of Adobe Connect, and to have enabled HTML client support - you'll have to ask the people running the webinar whether this is supported.
posted by zamboni at 1:14 PM on August 6, 2020


Wait, are you using an old browser, falsedmitri, that could be causing these prompts?
posted by wenestvedt at 1:19 PM on August 6, 2020


Honestly, though, I suspect phunniemee's approach is the best option here - this thread is largely looking for a technical solution to a political problem.

You need to attend the webinar for work. Adobe Connect is a mainstream option for attending webinars. Rather than have you spend your time puzzling over the intricacies of Flash plugins and HTML5 clients, make the business case for why you need to attend the webinar, and make it IT's problem to figure out how.
posted by zamboni at 2:01 PM on August 6, 2020


From the webinar host:
Unfortunately the HTML client will block certain features that are required for our webinars which is why we do not use it at this time

From IT:
Flash is blocked on computers and networks due to high security risks. Training will have to make use of other technologies.
posted by falsedmitri at 4:21 PM on August 6, 2020


Training will have to make use of other technologies.

Did you ask them about installing the standalone Connect meeting application?
posted by zamboni at 6:41 PM on August 6, 2020


« Older I've been conditioned to think white people are...   |   Small diverse towns on the East coast Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.