Microsoft Teams users are using it for a really bad reason so stop now TechRadar Skip to main content TechRadar is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's why you can trust us. Microsoft Teams users are using it for a really bad reason so stop now By Craig Hale published 9 October 2022 Sending confidential business data over Microsoft Teams may be a worse idea than you think (Image credit: Shutterstock - Natee Meepian) Audio player loading… It seems many Microsoft Teams users might be trusting the service a little too much, new research has claimed.. Cybersecurity company Hornetsecurity is urging companies to take more preventative action against potential threats using the Microsoft Teams video conferencing platform. According to its study, almost half (45%) of the users admit to sending "confidential and sensitive" information frequently via Microsoft Teams. Protect your Teams data What's worse, an even higher figure (51%) were found to be sharing "business-critical" information, while a similar number (48%) of the respondents had accidentally sent a Microsoft Teams message that should not have been sent, such as to the wrong person. When it comes to devices, offenders are more likely to be sharing confidential information using a personal device (51%), compared with a work-issued piece of equipment (29%). Clearly, the importance of using professionally secured devices needs to be emphasized in staff training. Hornetsecurity proposes this as one solution to alleviate the pressures on company cybersecurity, citing 56% of its survey participants who believe that employee training and awareness is the most important aspect to reducing risks.Read more> Check out the best online collaboration tools (opens in new tab) > There's finally a fix to this serious Microsoft Teams problem (opens in new tab) > The relationship between Microsoft Teams and OneDrive is about to get even tighter (opens in new tab) The company's CEO, Daniel Hofmann, explains that "companies must have adequate safeguards in place to protect and secure business data" as more workers turn to chat-like messaging services. If users are to continue sharing content through chat, Hofmann says that companies must "ensure information and files shared across the platform are backed up in a secure, responsible way." This news comes just a couple of weeks after researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison made the case that Teams (and Slack) third-party apps may have some worrying security flaws. Because their code is rarely analyzed by Teams' and Slack's dev teams, the potential for data leaks could be greater than expected. Protect your business with the best firewall services Craig Hale With several years' experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig's specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the electrification of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value! See more Computing news Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to theTechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Thank you for signing up to TechRadar. You will receive a verification email shortly. There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again. MOST POPULARMOST SHARED1The iPhone 14 Pro is made of the wrong stuff; the Pixel 7 proves that to me27 new movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and more this weekend (October 7)3Stop saying Mario doesn't have an accent in The Super Mario Bros. Movie4Microsoft Teams users are using it for a really bad reason so stop now5Google Pixel Tablet is what Apple should've done ages ago1Best laptops for designers and coders 2The iPhone 14 Pro is made of the wrong stuff; the Pixel 7 proves that to me3Stop saying Mario doesn't have an accent in The Super Mario Bros. Movie4Microsoft Teams users are using it for a really bad reason so stop now5iPhone 15 tipped to come with an upgraded 5G chip Technology Magazines (opens in new tab)● (opens in new tab)The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviewsFrom$12.99 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab) Other versions of this page are available with specific content for the following regions:Suomi