Balancing security risks with business needs for online collaboration tools

While an increasing number of CIOs recognize the benefits of implementing standardized, corporate-wide collaboration tools, the top priority for most companies continues to be security.

Yet, the collaboration tools used extensively every day by employees contain some of your company’s most sensitive information, from customer data to logon credentials to details about a proprietary process or an innovation driving a new product offering.

In an environment where mobility is not only valued but mandatory, IT is still responsible for complying with mounting regulatory requirements, including safeguarding all information shared across collaboration platforms.

Collaboration suite vulnerability threats

Threats most often identified as arising from collaboration suite vulnerabilities include:

• Users accessing collaboration tools from the public Internet versus a secure VPN, opening up threats from web-based opportunists.
• Unauthorized individuals breaching logon credentials, allowing them to gather details for accessing proprietary company data, customer information, and even financial records.
• When limited encryption gives hackers an opening, making the organization vulnerable to considerable compliance risks.
• When code-related issues accidentally expose confidential data.
• Third-party integrations into collaboration tools.

To keep security risks to a minimum, enterprises must begin to reign in and consolidate the numerous collaboration tools used by different teams throughout the organization. CIOs can initiate the process by engaging stakeholders to determine functionality crucial to the lines of business, while carefully considering the diverse needs of corporate headquarters, branch, and remote users.

Focus on security makes Cisco Webex a trusted collaboration tool

Cisco Webex® is a proven suite of applications enabling today’s global employees, virtual teams, and remote employees to work side-by-side to achieve objectives, as if in the same room. The security features built into Cisco Webex applications make it a trusted solution for corporations, institutions, and government agencies worldwide.

Get more done with Cisco Webex. Learn how.

CBTS, a Cisco Webex Master Service Provider

Why hire a technology partner to manage implementation, ongoing support, and maintenance of your collaboration tools? Because in-house teams working diligently to meet business goals for encouraging innovation through digital collaboration shouldn’t be burdened with ever-changing security and compliance responsibilities.

With CBTS as your technology partner, IT leaders can integrate new collaboration functionality into the corporate environment while continually addressing security concerns, no matter the location of distributed team members.

Schedule a collaboration security assessment today.