Steve Thomas - IT Consultant

Microsoft Bookings is a scheduling app that allows you to create a website where customers can book in-person or virtual appointments with your business. Bookings integrates with Outlook, so you can see your availability in real time and easily manage your customers’ requests. Here’s what your business can achieve with this powerful tool.

Enhanced visibility

With Bookings, you gain access to an innovative scheduling application compatible with desktop computers. It allows your customers to choose their preferred times and dates, all in alignment with real-time availability. They just need to input the necessary contact details, and the system takes care of the rest.

No more hassles caused by cancellations

Cancellations and no-shows can leave valuable time slots empty, resulting in lost income, unless you have a system to fill those gaps. Bookings helps prevent revenue loss by allowing you to set specific cancellation notice requirements.

Moreover, Bookings automatically sends a confirmation email to customers upon booking, followed by a timely reminder just before their appointment. If customers need to reschedule or cancel, they can do so easily. They can simply click on a link in the confirmation email and select a more convenient time for them.

Seamless synchronization

Once a booking is confirmed, it seamlessly syncs to a centralized calendar, which you and your staff can all view. This allows you the flexibility to reschedule, cancel, or reassign appointments to different staff members as needed.

When it comes to reassignment, Bookings offers a handy feature called “split view.” This intuitive tool displays the schedules of all staff members side by side, making it easy to see who is booked at specific times.

Furthermore, this adaptable system accommodates various calendar services, including Office 365, Outlook, and even Google Calendar. This ensures that clients and staff can use their preferred calendaring service, offering convenience for both parties.

More than just appointments

While appointment scheduling is the primary function of Bookings, it goes the extra mile by helping you expand your company’s customer database. When customers input their information into the system during the booking process, it automatically generates contact entries for them. These contact cards include essential personal details such as names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses, all conveniently stored for future reference.

Scalability and cost-effectiveness

As your company grows, Bookings accommodates your expansion plans effortlessly. You can easily onboard more staff members and create additional booking pages at no extra cost. What’s even better is that staff members don’t need Office 365 subscriptions to utilize this service, making it accessible and cost-effective for your growing team.

One way to differentiate yourself from competitors is to use a comprehensive appointment management solution like Bookings. If you have any questions about this feature or need more tech tips, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Microsoft Bookings stands as a versatile scheduling application that empowers you to create a dedicated website where clients can effortlessly schedule appointments with your business. Whether you offer in-person meetings or virtual sessions, Bookings automates the process of managing appointments. Its seamless integration with Outlook also grants you real-time access to your availability, ensuring you don’t miss out on important commitments. Read on to learn how Bookings can benefit your business.

Enhanced visibility

With Bookings, you gain access to an innovative scheduling application compatible with desktop computers. It allows your customers to choose their preferred times and dates, all in alignment with real-time availability. They just need to input the necessary contact details, and the system takes care of the rest.

No more hassles caused by cancellations

Cancellations and no-shows can leave valuable time slots empty, resulting in lost income, unless you have a system to fill those gaps. Bookings helps prevent revenue loss by allowing you to set specific cancellation notice requirements.

Moreover, Bookings automatically sends a confirmation email to customers upon booking, followed by a timely reminder just before their appointment. If customers need to reschedule or cancel, they can do so easily. They can simply click on a link in the confirmation email and select a more convenient time for them.

Seamless synchronization

Once a booking is confirmed, it seamlessly syncs to a centralized calendar, which you and your staff can all view. This allows you the flexibility to reschedule, cancel, or reassign appointments to different staff members as needed.

When it comes to reassignment, Bookings offers a handy feature called “split view.” This intuitive tool displays the schedules of all staff members side by side, making it easy to see who is booked at specific times.

Furthermore, this adaptable system accommodates various calendar services, including Office 365, Outlook, and even Google Calendar. This ensures that clients and staff can use their preferred calendaring service, offering convenience for both parties.

More than just appointments

While appointment scheduling is the primary function of Bookings, it goes the extra mile by helping you expand your company’s customer database. When customers input their information into the system during the booking process, it automatically generates contact entries for them. These contact cards include essential personal details such as names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses, all conveniently stored for future reference.

Scalability and cost-effectiveness

As your company grows, Bookings accommodates your expansion plans effortlessly. You can easily onboard more staff members and create additional booking pages at no extra cost. What’s even better is that staff members don’t need Office 365 subscriptions to utilize this service, making it accessible and cost-effective for your growing team.

One way to differentiate yourself from competitors is to use a comprehensive appointment management solution like Bookings. If you have any questions about this feature or need more tech tips, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Microsoft Bookings is not just any scheduling app; it’s a powerful tool that lets you create an effortless booking experience for your customers. What sets it apart is its seamless integration with Outlook, ensuring that you have a real-time overview of your availability and simplifying the appointment booking process. In this article, we discuss some of the most useful benefits of Bookings.

Enhanced visibility

With Bookings, you gain access to an innovative scheduling application compatible with desktop computers. It allows your customers to choose their preferred times and dates, all in alignment with real-time availability. They just need to input the necessary contact details, and the system takes care of the rest.

No more hassles caused by cancellations

Cancellations and no-shows can leave valuable time slots empty, resulting in lost income, unless you have a system to fill those gaps. Bookings helps prevent revenue loss by allowing you to set specific cancellation notice requirements.

Moreover, Bookings automatically sends a confirmation email to customers upon booking, followed by a timely reminder just before their appointment. If customers need to reschedule or cancel, they can do so easily. They can simply click on a link in the confirmation email and select a more convenient time for them.

Seamless synchronization

Once a booking is confirmed, it seamlessly syncs to a centralized calendar, which you and your staff can all view. This allows you the flexibility to reschedule, cancel, or reassign appointments to different staff members as needed.

When it comes to reassignment, Bookings offers a handy feature called “split view.” This intuitive tool displays the schedules of all staff members side by side, making it easy to see who is booked at specific times.

Furthermore, this adaptable system accommodates various calendar services, including Office 365, Outlook, and even Google Calendar. This ensures that clients and staff can use their preferred calendaring service, offering convenience for both parties.

More than just appointments

While appointment scheduling is the primary function of Bookings, it goes the extra mile by helping you expand your company’s customer database. When customers input their information into the system during the booking process, it automatically generates contact entries for them. These contact cards include essential personal details such as names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses, all conveniently stored for future reference.

Scalability and cost-effectiveness

As your company grows, Bookings accommodates your expansion plans effortlessly. You can easily onboard more staff members and create additional booking pages at no extra cost. What’s even better is that staff members don’t need Office 365 subscriptions to utilize this service, making it accessible and cost-effective for your growing team.

One way to differentiate yourself from competitors is to use a comprehensive appointment management solution like Bookings. If you have any questions about this feature or need more tech tips, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

In the digital age, businesses and organizations have a variety of collaboration tools at their disposal. With so many options available, it can be challenging to determine which tool is best suited for specific tasks and goals. Three commonly used tools in the Microsoft ecosystem are Groups, Teams, and Yammer. While all three offer collaboration and communication features, they each have unique strengths and use cases. In this article, we will explore the differences between Groups, Teams, and Yammer, and help you determine when to use each tool for optimal collaboration and communication within your organization.

Microsoft 365 Groups

With Microsoft 365 Groups, team members can easily communicate, share files, and manage tasks in one centralized location. Groups is a great option for businesses because it offers a user-friendly platform for virtual collaboration, which is especially important in today’s remote work environment. Users can even incorporate third-party apps such as Trello, Twitter, and Mailchimp into Groups for streamlined notifications. This means less time spent searching for information and more time spent getting work done.

For companies that rely heavily on email communication, Groups can be a game-changer. It’s particularly useful for departments such as HR and sales that frequently exchange correspondence with external parties. However, one thing to keep in mind is that with one inbox for all your notifications, email overload can become an issue if you’re not careful.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams, at its core, is a messaging app that can be used to facilitate real-time communication among team members. It also includes features for video conferencing, document sharing, and task management, all of which can help teams work together more efficiently. Additionally, thanks to Teams’ integration with Microsoft 365 apps, you can stay focused on projects without leaving the platform.

Unlike Groups, Teams is designed for advanced collaboration, which is perfect for tasks that require immediate feedback and projects with tight deadlines.

Yammer

Yammer is a professional social media app that integrates with Microsoft 365 tools. It can serve as a virtual bulletin board for your organization, facilitating smooth and open communication.

With features borrowed from popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Yammer keeps things fresh and modern. Additionally, users can follow and comment on popular posts in their feeds, making it easy to stay up to date and engaged with the company’s news and happenings. Best of all, Yammer works seamlessly with other Microsoft 365 tools such as Outlook and OneDrive, making it an essential communication tool for any organization.

Since all three of these platforms belong to the Microsoft 365 environment, you can use them together to ensure your team achieves maximum efficiency and productivity. To ensure you get the most out of Groups, Teams, and/or Yammer, get in touch with our IT experts today. We’ll work closely with you to help you get the right tools for your business needs.

Are you looking for tools to help you communicate and share documents with coworkers? Microsoft 365 offers a powerful suite of options to choose from. By understanding the benefits of Groups, Teams, and Yammer, you can decide which platform best fits your needs. Whether you’re seeking an easy way to post updates and share files or need a dedicated space for collaborative projects and team conversations, one of these tools is sure to provide the perfect solution.

Microsoft 365 Groups

With Microsoft 365 Groups, team members can easily communicate, share files, and manage tasks in one centralized location. Groups is a great option for businesses because it offers a user-friendly platform for virtual collaboration, which is especially important in today’s remote work environment. Users can even incorporate third-party apps such as Trello, Twitter, and Mailchimp into Groups for streamlined notifications. This means less time spent searching for information and more time spent getting work done.

For companies that rely heavily on email communication, Groups can be a game-changer. It’s particularly useful for departments such as HR and sales that frequently exchange correspondence with external parties. However, one thing to keep in mind is that with one inbox for all your notifications, email overload can become an issue if you’re not careful.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams, at its core, is a messaging app that can be used to facilitate real-time communication among team members. It also includes features for video conferencing, document sharing, and task management, all of which can help teams work together more efficiently. Additionally, thanks to Teams’ integration with Microsoft 365 apps, you can stay focused on projects without leaving the platform.

Unlike Groups, Teams is designed for advanced collaboration, which is perfect for tasks that require immediate feedback and projects with tight deadlines.

Yammer

Yammer is a professional social media app that integrates with Microsoft 365 tools. It can serve as a virtual bulletin board for your organization, facilitating smooth and open communication.

With features borrowed from popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Yammer keeps things fresh and modern. Additionally, users can follow and comment on popular posts in their feeds, making it easy to stay up to date and engaged with the company’s news and happenings. Best of all, Yammer works seamlessly with other Microsoft 365 tools such as Outlook and OneDrive, making it an essential communication tool for any organization.

Since all three of these platforms belong to the Microsoft 365 environment, you can use them together to ensure your team achieves maximum efficiency and productivity. To ensure you get the most out of Groups, Teams, and/or Yammer, get in touch with our IT experts today. We’ll work closely with you to help you get the right tools for your business needs.

Microsoft 365 provides three amazing tools that make it easier than ever to communicate, collaborate, and share documents with your colleagues — Groups, Teams, and Yammer. Have you ever wondered what the difference is between these tools and when you should use which? Read on to find out more about how each tool can help you streamline your workflow.

Microsoft 365 Groups

With Microsoft 365 Groups, team members can easily communicate, share files, and manage tasks in one centralized location. Groups is a great option for businesses because it offers a user-friendly platform for virtual collaboration, which is especially important in today’s remote work environment. Users can even incorporate third-party apps such as Trello, Twitter, and Mailchimp into Groups for streamlined notifications. This means less time spent searching for information and more time spent getting work done.

For companies that rely heavily on email communication, Groups can be a game-changer. It’s particularly useful for departments such as HR and sales that frequently exchange correspondence with external parties. However, one thing to keep in mind is that with one inbox for all your notifications, email overload can become an issue if you’re not careful.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams, at its core, is a messaging app that can be used to facilitate real-time communication among team members. It also includes features for video conferencing, document sharing, and task management, all of which can help teams work together more efficiently. Additionally, thanks to Teams’ integration with Microsoft 365 apps, you can stay focused on projects without leaving the platform.

Unlike Groups, Teams is designed for advanced collaboration, which is perfect for tasks that require immediate feedback and projects with tight deadlines.

Yammer

Yammer is a professional social media app that integrates with Microsoft 365 tools. It can serve as a virtual bulletin board for your organization, facilitating smooth and open communication.

With features borrowed from popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Yammer keeps things fresh and modern. Additionally, users can follow and comment on popular posts in their feeds, making it easy to stay up to date and engaged with the company’s news and happenings. Best of all, Yammer works seamlessly with other Microsoft 365 tools such as Outlook and OneDrive, making it an essential communication tool for any organization.

Since all three of these platforms belong to the Microsoft 365 environment, you can use them together to ensure your team achieves maximum efficiency and productivity. To ensure you get the most out of Groups, Teams, and/or Yammer, get in touch with our IT experts today. We’ll work closely with you to help you get the right tools for your business needs.

Viva Insights is an app within Microsoft’s Viva suite. It provides individuals, managers, and business leaders with the necessary insights to develop better work habits and improve their work environment. In this blog, we will explore how Viva Insights works and its many features.

How does Viva Insights work?

Viva Insights shows users personalized recommendations that can help them do their best work. By analyzing Microsoft 365 data, such as emails, calls, meetings, and chats, it can generate insights for building better work habits that help people become more productive and improve their well-being. The tool can gather and provide the following information:

  • Personal insights help individual users understand how they work and what they need to do to improve their performance.
  • Teamwork habits let you determine work habits that may cause burnout, such as having too many meetings, too little focus time, and frequent after-hours work. This way, team members can learn how their habits affect the rest of the team and how they can help their colleagues balance productivity and well-being.
  • Organization trends provide managers and business leaders visibility into how the work culture is impacting employee productivity and well-being. They can use the recommendations to make necessary improvements.
  • Advanced insights can help company leaders address vital issues about organizational resiliency, such as how work affects their people and the business.

What are the other features of Viva Insights?

Aside from providing important insights, Viva Insights also has a few handy features that can help employees improve their work life. These include:

  • Stay connected: This feature allows users to interact better with their colleagues. It also suggests one-on-one meetings with managers or colleagues, sends meeting reminders, and reminds users to RSVP when needed.
  • Protect time: Viva Insights users can schedule focus time right on the app. Do Not Disturb functions are automatically enabled to prevent distractions.
  • Send praise: Users can acknowledge their team’s and colleagues’ hard work by sending them praise via private chat or a Teams channel.
  • Reflect: This feature encourages workers to focus on themselves. Users can create reminders to see how they are feeling and access their reflection history to determine how their feelings have evolved. Users can share this data with their managers and other company leaders.
  • Headspace: Users can access the mindfulness app Headspace within Microsoft Viva to help them start their day grounded, relax before a big presentation, or focus before starting a project. They can also use it to close out their day with a mindfulness exercise during their virtual commute.
  • Take a break: This feature encourages users to take several deep breaths for one minute.
  • Microsoft To-Do: This task management application helps users better manage their tasks and commitments.

To make sure you reap all the benefits of Viva Insights, give us a call. We’ll be more than ready to help you set it up and tailor it to your business’s needs.

Viva Insights is a powerful tool that gathers data on your employees’ work habits, analyzes this information, and then recommends ways to help team members perform more efficiently. The application also seeks to improve your staff’s productivity and well-being so they can achieve their full potential.

How does Viva Insights work?

Viva Insights shows users personalized recommendations that can help them do their best work. By analyzing Microsoft 365 data, such as emails, calls, meetings, and chats, it can generate insights for building better work habits that help people become more productive and improve their well-being. The tool can gather and provide the following information:

  • Personal insights help individual users understand how they work and what they need to do to improve their performance.
  • Teamwork habits let you determine work habits that may cause burnout, such as having too many meetings, too little focus time, and frequent after-hours work. This way, team members can learn how their habits affect the rest of the team and how they can help their colleagues balance productivity and well-being.
  • Organization trends provide managers and business leaders visibility into how the work culture is impacting employee productivity and well-being. They can use the recommendations to make necessary improvements.
  • Advanced insights can help company leaders address vital issues about organizational resiliency, such as how work affects their people and the business.

What are the other features of Viva Insights?

Aside from providing important insights, Viva Insights also has a few handy features that can help employees improve their work life. These include:

  • Stay connected: This feature allows users to interact better with their colleagues. It also suggests one-on-one meetings with managers or colleagues, sends meeting reminders, and reminds users to RSVP when needed.
  • Protect time: Viva Insights users can schedule focus time right on the app. Do Not Disturb functions are automatically enabled to prevent distractions.
  • Send praise: Users can acknowledge their team’s and colleagues’ hard work by sending them praise via private chat or a Teams channel.
  • Reflect: This feature encourages workers to focus on themselves. Users can create reminders to see how they are feeling and access their reflection history to determine how their feelings have evolved. Users can share this data with their managers and other company leaders.
  • Headspace: Users can access the mindfulness app Headspace within Microsoft Viva to help them start their day grounded, relax before a big presentation, or focus before starting a project. They can also use it to close out their day with a mindfulness exercise during their virtual commute.
  • Take a break: This feature encourages users to take several deep breaths for one minute.
  • Microsoft To-Do: This task management application helps users better manage their tasks and commitments.

To make sure you reap all the benefits of Viva Insights, give us a call. We’ll be more than ready to help you set it up and tailor it to your business’s needs.

Viva Insights uses the power of data and analytics to help businesses of all sizes improve their employees’ productivity. Let’s learn more about this business productivity tool and how it can benefit your organization.

How does Viva Insights work?

Viva Insights shows users personalized recommendations that can help them do their best work. By analyzing Microsoft 365 data, such as emails, calls, meetings, and chats, it can generate insights for building better work habits that help people become more productive and improve their well-being. The tool can gather and provide the following information:

  • Personal insights help individual users understand how they work and what they need to do to improve their performance.
  • Teamwork habits let you determine work habits that may cause burnout, such as having too many meetings, too little focus time, and frequent after-hours work. This way, team members can learn how their habits affect the rest of the team and how they can help their colleagues balance productivity and well-being.
  • Organization trends provide managers and business leaders visibility into how the work culture is impacting employee productivity and well-being. They can use the recommendations to make necessary improvements.
  • Advanced insights can help company leaders address vital issues about organizational resiliency, such as how work affects their people and the business.

What are the other features of Viva Insights?

Aside from providing important insights, Viva Insights also has a few handy features that can help employees improve their work life. These include:

  • Stay connected: This feature allows users to interact better with their colleagues. It also suggests one-on-one meetings with managers or colleagues, sends meeting reminders, and reminds users to RSVP when needed.
  • Protect time: Viva Insights users can schedule focus time right on the app. Do Not Disturb functions are automatically enabled to prevent distractions.
  • Send praise: Users can acknowledge their team’s and colleagues’ hard work by sending them praise via private chat or a Teams channel.
  • Reflect: This feature encourages workers to focus on themselves. Users can create reminders to see how they are feeling and access their reflection history to determine how their feelings have evolved. Users can share this data with their managers and other company leaders.
  • Headspace: Users can access the mindfulness app Headspace within Microsoft Viva to help them start their day grounded, relax before a big presentation, or focus before starting a project. They can also use it to close out their day with a mindfulness exercise during their virtual commute.
  • Take a break: This feature encourages users to take several deep breaths for one minute.
  • Microsoft To-Do: This task management application helps users better manage their tasks and commitments.

To make sure you reap all the benefits of Viva Insights, give us a call. We’ll be more than ready to help you set it up and tailor it to your business’s needs.

Microsoft Teams is a powerful tool that can help your workplace run more smoothly. However, with great power comes great potential security risks. In this blog post, we will discuss the three best tips on how to secure Microsoft Teams.

Utilize built-in security features

The most dependable approach to securing Microsoft Teams is through governance restrictions. These are rules that set the parameters for how the platform will be used, who can establish Teams accounts, and what information people may provide. Appointing a Teams administrator will be critical in ensuring that Teams security policies are followed by users throughout the company.

Administrators should also set up Teams’ data loss prevention (DLP) feature to prevent accidental exposure of critical information and reduce the risk of data breaches. For instance, administrators can use sensitivity labels as a condition in DLP policies to instantly block guests or unauthorized users from accessing or sharing data in a Teams channel or a private chat.

Limit external access

Speaking of guest users, you should also use Teams’ Lobby feature when meeting with external users or teams. This feature redirects guests to a virtual lobby where they will wait before being admitted into the meeting. This can be useful when you want to talk with your team first before officially starting the meeting with a client.

Another way to control Teams access is by creating security groups. By default, a user with an Exchange Online mailbox can create a Team and become a Team owner. Creating a security group will help prevent unwanted and unverified users from creating and joining any group, extension, and Team.

Enable MFA

Multifactor authentication (MFA) is a practical way to enforce security when using Teams. In 2020, more than 99.9% of compromised Microsoft enterprise accounts didn’t use MFA. This is highly concerning because if an attacker compromises a Microsoft account and is able to get into Teams, they will gain access to valuable information the account’s owner works with through the platform as well as other integrated apps.

MFA can be used in conjunction with a password, PIN, or biometric data such as a fingerprint or an iris scan. In the case of Microsoft Teams, requiring multiple factors for authentication ensures that only authorized users will be able to access their accounts. And when someone else tries to gain access, they will be alerted of suspicious activity so they can take steps to further safeguard their accounts. This can discourage malicious actors and, more importantly, instill better security habits among users.

Following these tips can help ensure a seamless and secure collaboration environment for your workplace. Contact our IT experts today to learn more about Microsoft Teams and how to better secure it against attacks.

Microsoft Teams has become an essential tool in the workplace, with its ability to facilitate communication and collaboration in a remote or hybrid setting. However, as more and more users rely on this platform, its potential as a security risk increases. Here are the three best ways to help you secure Microsoft Teams.

Utilize built-in security features

The most dependable approach to securing Microsoft Teams is through governance restrictions. These are rules that set the parameters for how the platform will be used, who can establish Teams accounts, and what information people may provide. Appointing a Teams administrator will be critical in ensuring that Teams security policies are followed by users throughout the company.

Administrators should also set up Teams’ data loss prevention (DLP) feature to prevent accidental exposure of critical information and reduce the risk of data breaches. For instance, administrators can use sensitivity labels as a condition in DLP policies to instantly block guests or unauthorized users from accessing or sharing data in a Teams channel or a private chat.

Limit external access

Speaking of guest users, you should also use Teams’ Lobby feature when meeting with external users or teams. This feature redirects guests to a virtual lobby where they will wait before being admitted into the meeting. This can be useful when you want to talk with your team first before officially starting the meeting with a client.

Another way to control Teams access is by creating security groups. By default, a user with an Exchange Online mailbox can create a Team and become a Team owner. Creating a security group will help prevent unwanted and unverified users from creating and joining any group, extension, and Team.

Enable MFA

Multifactor authentication (MFA) is a practical way to enforce security when using Teams. In 2020, more than 99.9% of compromised Microsoft enterprise accounts didn’t use MFA. This is highly concerning because if an attacker compromises a Microsoft account and is able to get into Teams, they will gain access to valuable information the account’s owner works with through the platform as well as other integrated apps.

MFA can be used in conjunction with a password, PIN, or biometric data such as a fingerprint or an iris scan. In the case of Microsoft Teams, requiring multiple factors for authentication ensures that only authorized users will be able to access their accounts. And when someone else tries to gain access, they will be alerted of suspicious activity so they can take steps to further safeguard their accounts. This can discourage malicious actors and, more importantly, instill better security habits among users.

Following these tips can help ensure a seamless and secure collaboration environment for your workplace. Contact our IT experts today to learn more about Microsoft Teams and how to better secure it against attacks.

Microsoft Teams is a great tool that can help improve communication and collaboration in the workplace. However, the popular business communication platform can also be a security concern if it’s not adequately secured. In this blog, we’ll dive into some practical tips for securing Microsoft Teams and keeping your workplace safe.

Utilize built-in security features

The most dependable approach to securing Microsoft Teams is through governance restrictions. These are rules that set the parameters for how the platform will be used, who can establish Teams accounts, and what information people may provide. Appointing a Teams administrator will be critical in ensuring that Teams security policies are followed by users throughout the company.

Administrators should also set up Teams’ data loss prevention (DLP) feature to prevent accidental exposure of critical information and reduce the risk of data breaches. For instance, administrators can use sensitivity labels as a condition in DLP policies to instantly block guests or unauthorized users from accessing or sharing data in a Teams channel or a private chat.

Limit external access

Speaking of guest users, you should also use Teams’ Lobby feature when meeting with external users or teams. This feature redirects guests to a virtual lobby where they will wait before being admitted into the meeting. This can be useful when you want to talk with your team first before officially starting the meeting with a client.

Another way to control Teams access is by creating security groups. By default, a user with an Exchange Online mailbox can create a Team and become a Team owner. Creating a security group will help prevent unwanted and unverified users from creating and joining any group, extension, and Team.

Enable MFA

Multifactor authentication (MFA) is a practical way to enforce security when using Teams. In 2020, more than 99.9% of compromised Microsoft enterprise accounts didn’t use MFA. This is highly concerning because if an attacker compromises a Microsoft account and is able to get into Teams, they will gain access to valuable information the account’s owner works with through the platform as well as other integrated apps.

MFA can be used in conjunction with a password, PIN, or biometric data such as a fingerprint or an iris scan. In the case of Microsoft Teams, requiring multiple factors for authentication ensures that only authorized users will be able to access their accounts. And when someone else tries to gain access, they will be alerted of suspicious activity so they can take steps to further safeguard their accounts. This can discourage malicious actors and, more importantly, instill better security habits among users.

Following these tips can help ensure a seamless and secure collaboration environment for your workplace. Contact our IT experts today to learn more about Microsoft Teams and how to better secure it against attacks.