Microsoft Teams has quickly become one of the most useful and pervasive business tools for the way we work today. Many of us rely on Teams to communicate and collaborate with our colleagues. It’s a great way to share information quickly and reliably regardless of where we’re working.
But this remote way of working can also open the door to some MAJOR security issues.
New research shows that nearly half of employees frequently share confidential and/or sensitive files and data through Teams.
That can be a big problem if employees are their using personal devices instead of protected work devices. Personal devices often don’t have appropriate security measures installed and can present a serious risk to your organization.
Fifty-one percent of people surveyed say they’ve shared business-critical information using personal devices. Even worse, 48% admitted they’ve accidentally sent files or data they shouldn’t have – possibly to the wrong person!
So how can you ensure that your employees are using Teams in the safest and most secure way?
Verify that you have all the right safeguards in place to protect your organization’s sensitive data. If you don’t, that data could fall into the wrong hands (either intentionally or unintentionally – they are equally bad) – and the results can be an expensive nightmare with potential legal consequences. Just imagine if sensitive employee information or HIPAA protected data was shared outside of the business!
You also need to make sure everyone understands the risks of sharing data on personal devices (if you choose to allow it at all), as well as what precautions they can take to keep data safe. Provide regular cybersecurity awareness training for employees at all levels in your business – from intern to CEO.
Remember, your technology – even with a trusted app like Teams – is only as safe as the people who use it and the devices it’s installed on.
If you need assistance getting the right protections in place, contact us – we can help.
Published with permission from Your Tech Updates.
