Microsoft Teams Security: Is Microsoft Teams Secure?

Over the past few years, commerce and social experiences have increasingly moved into online spaces. This trend opened up a world of opportunities for individuals and businesses worldwide. Unfortunately, cybersecurity concerns also worsened as shady characters took the opportunity to hack into treasure troves of data, sometimes holding that data ransom for millions of dollars. Can Microsoft Teams withstand these security threats? How safe is it for your business to use this platform?

Microsoft Teams Security Overview

Microsoft has served organizations of all sizes since the 1970s. Despite the influx of competition from Google Chrome and Mac OS, it remains a favorite for corporations, non-profits, and educational institutions worldwide. Microsoft has decades of experience creating secure software trusted by some of the biggest household names.

This level of security transfers easily to Microsoft Teams. It uses the same security protocols as other Office 365 applications, including Azure Active Directory and multi-factor authentication. It also maintains compliance with all the industry standards regulating cybersecurity.

Additionally, Microsoft Purview works with Teams to identify and prevent risky or inappropriate sharing, transfer, or use of sensitive data on endpoints, apps, and services.

However, no platform can boast 100% security, so users should always take precautions to protect their information.

How the Tech Giant Prevents Microsoft Teams Security Issues

Microsoft has invested heavily in the growth of the hybrid workforce. It has provided a wealth of tools to streamline collaborative efforts for teams with members based anywhere around the world, and cybersecurity has stood at the core of these efforts.

Microsoft Teams Design

Good security starts with excellent design. Consequently, the tech giant ensured Teams complied with the Microsoft Trustworthy Computing Security Development Lifecycle from the start. Microsoft acknowledges that it is impossible to design barriers against all unknown threats. Still, it has developed a system that can automate the detection of these threats and its response to them.

Microsoft Teams Encryption

Some devices and apps make encryption an optional feature and disable it as a default. Consequently, companies often use these tools assuming encrypted data transfer. Microsoft enables encryption as a default to prevent instances like this. Here are some of the specific areas of encryption Microsoft uses:

• Encryption of key data
• Encryption of all Teams traffic
• Media encryption

Microsoft Teams Zero Trust

The new era of Microsoft tools relies on zero-trust technology. Zero trust treats all access attempts as threats until proven otherwise, such as via multi-factor authentication. Tech teams can adjust the features to reduce friction where necessary. However, doing so can sometimes interfere with the ability to offer complete protection.

Azure DDOS Network Protection

Microsoft also offers Azure DDOS network protection to safeguard against distributed denial of service attacks. These attacks usually target high-profile apps and services. By taking down the app or service, they can prevent users from accessing it. However, Azure’s DDOS protection allows Teams to stay online during attacks.

Policy-Based Management

Microsoft Teams also offers this essential security feature for admins. It allows you to set up rules determining how users interact with the app. For instance, you can use it to prevent users from downloading certain file types. You can also set up rules that determine what users can do with the data they download.

Microsoft Teams Security Best Practices

Knowing how to secure Microsoft Teams typically involves making the best use of its existing features. It also requires training employees to protect their log-in credentials and to avoid dangerous behavioral patterns that could create Microsoft Teams security vulnerabilities. Examples of risky behavior include the practice of writing passwords on sticky notes and leaving them in a drawer, or worse, out in plain view.

Workers and clients might also share concerns about privacy and data protection. Common questions include: how secure is Microsoft Teams video conferencing? Managers should take the time to educate workers and clients on Microsoft Teams chat security to ensure user buy-in. Doing so reduces the risk of them using other channels that do not have the same level of protection or that might negatively impact organizational compliance.

Despite all the efforts Microsoft has made to ensure the security of its tools, you should still take some precautions when using them. Here are some steps you can take:

• Keep your software updated
• Use strong passwords
• Enable multi-factor authentication
• Restrict external access
• Monitor activity

How Archiving Solutions Impact The Security of Microsoft Teams conversations

Third-party archiving solutions keep records of the conversations that transpire via Teams and other approved communication channels. Failure to secure this data could introduce security issues from external sources. Having the right third-party solution can make a difference in prioritizing and securing data reliably.

LeapXpert has spent the past several years delivering precisely this level of service for employee-client messaging. LeapXpert’s platform ensures full security with end-to-end encryption, customer-managed encryption keys, and antivirus/antimalware capabilities. LeapXpert even offers data leakage protection, information barriers, and ethical wall functionalities to create a customizable solution that fits your organization’s archiving and data security needs. Book your demo to see how we automate message archiving and protect your data.