Security Risks of using collaboration tools for your Business

According to reports, security is a key worry when using collaboration tools because it stores customer data as well as crucial corporate data.

The advantages of collaboration tools are often discussed:

  1. Reduced reliance on email
  2. More organic project cooperation
  3. Improved communication and connections across teams.

Collaboration tools include services such as video conferencing, VoIP, document sharing, and instant messaging.

However, these tools pose significant security risks and assessing vulnerabilities — as well as effective remedies — should be an ongoing part of our tool-selection process.

Security Threats to Be Aware Of Collaboration Tools — and Possible Solutions

  1. Users with special access: Individuals within your business may have varying levels of access to your collaboration platform. Information may be kept in separate partitions with access restricted to certain team members using collaboration software. If a privileged user's information is compromised, the entire data collection is made public.

Solution: Allow administrators to put strong controls on what information users may see, generate alarms when accounts attempt to access the information they shouldn't, and quickly remove access rights for a compromised account.

  1. Login information: Collaboration software frequently uses a username and password login method. Outsiders can quickly gain access to financial information, sensitive company data, and consumer information if an employee's access is hacked.

Solution: Strict password policies, in combination with two-factor authentication through SMS on a mobile phone, can swiftly resolve this issue.

  1. Internet threats: Collaboration tools are accessed over the public Internet, exposing the data to a variety of vulnerabilities such as viruses and unwanted tracking.

Solution: Use a secure VPN connection. Employees must submit credentials to obtain access to mission-critical data, which will prevent them from being exposed to the internet through a VPN.

  1. Summary settings: Summary emails or financial data emails, when exposed to email vulnerabilities, will leak all of the data to outsiders. It also allows outsiders to get access to the email.

Solution: Collaboration tools should give a summary that users may view based on their organizational role level.

  1. URL-related issues: Certain hackers can acquire access to corporate websites by simply following the usual Web-based app protocols. Simultaneously, many collaborative platforms incorporate information into URLs inside the software, which might mistakenly divulge sensitive data.

Solution: Select a collaboration solution that gives your IT staff the ability to adjust security settings and create a URL structure that is both customizable and safe.

Selecting a Solution

Despite being aware of the security dangers connected with collaborative platforms, many people continue to use them. However, the optimal collaboration platform should include end-to-end visibility, high-performance monitoring of security concerns, and the capacity to apply changes fast. To avoid new dangers, continuous training and adjustments in processes should be made. Furthermore, the provider should assist with a successful solution rollout.

Collaboration tools have several advantages. On the other hand, we require measures to handle security issues. They include identifying the best providers, such as Mongrov, to assist you in deploying the secure collaboration platform.