Security has become a top concern of companies in this era. Microsoft Teams security promises next-level security methods being deployed for more reliable communication across enterprises. Microsoft Teams security is equipped with the latest security methods like two-factor authentication and end to end encryption and is best suited nowadays. However, the need for security is still persistent after claims from Tech Giants given the recent Teams cyber-attacks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bigger picture
Since a huge number of users shifted to Microsoft Teams during the COVID-19 pandemic, much collaboration software including Teams experienced security breaches. It was reported in recent news. Around 15,000 to 50,000 employees were victims of this attack the attackers used Impersonation emails for Microsoft 365. These were convincing emails that looked exactly like notification emails from Microsoft Teams. The URLs redirected the users to landing pages that looked similar to Microsoft Teams web pages. One of the sender email id originated from the “sharepointonline-irs.com” domain which is neither related to IRS nor Microsoft SharePoint Online.
What was the payload of the Attacks?
The original URL that hosted the attacks was concealed under many different URLs. This made it easier to bypass malicious link detection. The links redirected the employees towards a Microsoft login phishing credentials site. Here, the username and passwords of the employees were obtained by the hacktivists, thus exposing thousands of mailboxes.
The effectiveness of Attacks was inevitable
As Cybersecurity solutions and experts suggest, it is always necessary to check where you are entering the credentials. But the attack became successful because it was very well planned and there had been a number of passive attacks before to gather enough knowledge by the hacktivists in order to carry out the active Microsoft Teams attack with success. The thing which supported the hacktivists was the timing of such an attack: during COVID-19, most people were working from home and became used to frequent Teams notifications.
5 Tips for a secure online presence
Given the increase in the number of cyber-attacks these days including the Microsoft Teams security breach incident, it is always important to make your online presence safe. Cybersecurity experts suggest these 5 tips that can keep your online identity secured and minimize risks of a security breach:
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Prefer Private Browsing
A custom private web browser hides the traces of your online presence and makes it almost impossible to track your activity.
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Use strong passwords
Cybersecurity experts recommend the use of strong passwords. It is because the sophisticated Brute Force attack makes password guessing an easier game these days.
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Limit social media sharing
The more you are active with your activities on social media, the more are you vulnerable to passive cyber-attacks where the hacktivists keep an eye on your activity to gather information needed for an actual attack.
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Deactivate and terminate old accounts
Old accounts are hacktivists’ best friends. If you happen to own one but do not use it, it’s time to terminate it.
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