Collaborating securely in Microsoft Teams: 5 Tips

1. Make clear agreements within the team 📝

Without structure, Teams quickly becomes a proliferation of channels and files. Therefore, make clear agreements in advance:

✅ Define purpose: Will you use Teams only for chat and video conferencing, or also as a document management platform?
✅ Apply structure: Work with a logical structure of teams and channels (for example, by project or department).
✅ Use consistent naming: This keeps everything clear and findable.

 

 

2. Limit access and functionalities. 🔒

Not everyone needs to have access to everything. By being intentional about rights and functions, you reduce risk:

🔹 Allow only trusted apps in Teams to reduce the risk of security breaches.
🔹 Limit who can create new Teams or channels to prevent chaos and unwanted access.
🔹 Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to make accounts extra secure.

 

 

3. Assign responsibilities 👥

To keep Teams manageable, it’s smart to assign clear roles:

👤 Team Administrators: Responsible for managing members, settings and files.
📂 Archiving & Cleanup: Ensure outdated teams or files are archived or deleted to keep the environment uncluttered.

 

 

4. Be careful with remote access 🌐

Collaborating with outside parties can be convenient but comes with risks:

🚧 Determine who can invite external users and what information can be shared.
🔍 Limit the rights of external users (for example, by not allowing access to files).
⏳ Set up temporary access: Making external access automatic prevents uncontrolled access in the future.

 

 

5. Encourage safe use and awareness 🚨

Security starts with employee behavior. Make sure everyone knows how to use Teams securely:

📜 Create rules of conduct for Teams use (e.g., do not share sensitive information via chat).
🎭 Beware of phishing and social engineering: Teach employees to recognize and report suspicious messages.
🔄 Stay up-to-date with security updates and apply best practices within your organization.

 

 

Conclusion: Safe Cooperation is a Must! ✅

Microsoft Teams is a powerful collaboration platform, but without the right measures it can also pose a security risk. By making clear agreements, managing access properly and making employees aware of risks, you will work more safely and efficiently!

 

 

References

¹https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-teams/group-chat-software

 

 

About the author

My name is Alta Martes, a specialist in Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, with a focus on modern workplace management, cloud security and identity & access management. With years of experience, I help organizations optimize their IT infrastructure and create a secure, efficient digital workplace.

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