Microsoft Teams is a collaborative platform that has proven to enhance productivity. Teams has helped thousands of companies to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. With companies rapidly adopting Teams, it is essential to ensure that they reap the maximum benefit of online collaboration while staying secure. Here are five things to keep a close eye on to prevent the loss of sensitive information in Teams.
1. Accidental data leakage
Although Teams ensures end-to-end data encryption, and files cannot be shared with other teams and channels, there are other possibilities for accidental data leakage. Users might accidentally post sensitive information in the wrong channel, for example, a HR employee posting the payroll information in an organization-wide channel.
How M365 Manager Plus can help
- Follow the least privilege principle and grant minimal access to users, ensuring tighter control. Monitor and get alerted of role changes and permission elevation with M365 Manager Plus.
- Monitor access to files containing sensitive information on sites connected to Teams, using the SharePoint Online audit reports.
2. File sharing and activity in SharePoint Online
Microsoft Teams leverages SharePoint Online to store files and documents in sites linked to the teams created. A user can create a shareable, Anyone link to grant access to sensitive Microsoft Teams files in SharePoint Online. Hence, it is important to monitor activities in SharePoint Online.
How M365 Manager Plus can help
- Create custom audit profiles to monitor and get alerts on sharing activities such as creating company-wide sharing links, creating anonymous links, accepting sharing links, accessing anonymous links, and more.
- Carry out detailed audits on SharePoint Online files and folder activities, permission changes, site administration, sensitivity labels, and more, to prevent data breaches.
3. Guest access in Teams
With Teams you can collaborate with people outside your organization by inviting them to join your team as a guest. It is important to ensure that these guests do not have access to critical information and sensitive files. Malicious users might also use guest accounts to cover their tracks.
How M365 Manager Plus can help
- Get detailed reports on newly added team members and monitor their activities.
- Monitor team settings, role changes and guest activities to keep a close eye on external members. Receive instant alerts and take action when suspicious activity is detected.
4. Privilege elevation
Members in a team have full access to the data shared within that team, hence adding team members should be done with caution. Sometimes, users add members who need temporary access to certain files in a team; granting them access to the entire team data. Adding team members without caution will violate the least privilege principle and makes it difficult to monitor team membership and user activities.
How M365 Manager Plus can help
- Monitor changes in user privileges with audit reports on Microsoft 365 group memberships, permission changes, admin role changes, and more.
- Monitor changes made to team, organization and channel settings to ensure tight security.
5. Third-party applications
Users can add third-party applications to team channels in the form of custom tabs, bots or connectors, to use Teams more effectively. However, most of these applications request access to the team's data which opens a door to access company data by external parties. Attackers use phishing attacks to get users to grant their well disguised malicious web applications access to sensitive information.
How M365 Manager Plus can help
- Get detailed audit reports and alerts on newly added bots, connectors and tabs.
- Monitor Azure AD app administrations to ensure that no illicit application slips your notice.
Manage and secure Microsoft Teams with M365 Manager Plus.
M365 Manager Plus can help you effectively manage your Teams environment. It is a complete Microsoft 365 administrative solution that offers an extensive set of features to effortlessly manage and secure Microsoft Teams from a single, user-friendly console.
- Bulk management: Create, update, and delete teams, channels, team members, team policies, and more, in bulk by simply importing a CSV file.
- Detailed reporting: Gain deep insights into team sizes, user activity, device usage, and more, with pre-configured reports.
- Granular auditing: Detect unusual activities or events by auditing team creation, user sign-ins, channel creation, and more.
- 24x7 monitoring: Ensure around-the-clock monitoring of Microsoft Teams' features and endpoints.
- Instant alerting: Get real-time notifications for critical events via email. Configure custom alert profiles to get notifications for specific Microsoft Teams activities.
- Task automation: Automate repetitive management tasks with customized automation policies to save time and enhance productivity.
- Help desk delegation: Create custom help desk roles and delegate Teams management, auditing, and more, to non-admin users to reduce admin workload.
To know more about managing your Microsoft 365 environment using M365 Manager Plus, click here.
