Tools like Microsoft Teams, Slack, Trello, and Asana have become essential to the modern-day workforce. Since the world shifted to remote work in 2020, our usage of these platforms has skyrocketed.

These platforms simplify communication, support seamless file sharing, and allow remote workers to connect and collaborate easily. For many professionals, logging into a chat platform is like opening the door to their digital office.

But as we’ve come to rely more and more on these apps, they’ve also become a favored target for cybercriminals. In this blog, we’ll show you how to stay safe while using these tools.

Let’s dig into the risks and how to manage them.

Friendly Chats, Serious Risks

A report by Veritas found that 71% of remote workers have shared sensitive company info through these collaboration tools. This typically happens when people are just trying to be helpful. If your coworker asks for a file, you send it. However, your “coworker” could actually be a cybercriminal who has taken over their account.

Hackers love using this type of social engineering because it tricks you by using trusted faces. Before you respond to a coworker’s message, ask:

• Do I know for a fact who’s sending this message?
• Is this the right place to share this information?
• Does this feel like a phishing attempt?
• Am I following my company’s security policies?
• Is there a safer way to respond?

If you have any doubts, don’t respond immediately. A quick phone call or a separate text to verify the request could save you from falling for a cybercriminal’s tricks.

More Features Mean More Entry Points

Modern collaboration tools connect your files, your calendar, and apps all to the same place. Each of connection creates a new entry point for a hacker.

For example, the hacker tool TeamsPhisher was designed to send phishing messages through Microsoft Teams. The hacker group Midnight Blizzard tricked employees into approving MFA requests by pretending to be IT workers.

So how can we stay safe?

Check Before You Click

20% of employees admit they don’t check if a message is real before clicking a link in their team’s chat. Imagine you get a message from “Microsoft Identity Protection (External)” asking to chat. That “External” tag is a massive red flag. Your actual IT department wouldn’t reach you from outside of your company.

If you respond to this fake chat, they may send you a link to “verify your identity.” That link will likely lead to a fake login page designed to steal your credentials.

Here’s what you do:

• Verify offline: If a request seems odd, call your IT team or use your official ticketing system.
• No passwords in chat: Never send login info or private data over chat. Use a secure, encrypted method instead.
• Watch your hardware: Using a personal laptop that isn’t managed by your company? That adds extra risk. Stick to company devices whenever you can and keep your software updated.

Think Before You Share

“Loose lips sink ships” applies to your digital office, too. You can drop memes, emojis, and updates in your team chat, but keep the important stuff – your passwords and private data – out of it.

As we rely more on these tools over the coming years, we need to stay safe using them. Stay alert, question “urgent” requests, and always verify before you click.

If you have questions or want expert help, reach out to Computer Experts Group, Ltd.. We help small and mid-sized businesses stay secure while still enjoying the tools that make modern work possible.

Let’s keep collaborating – just with a little more caution.