Slack is a great platform for business communication. It is used for giving out and discussing tasks, doing teamwork, and developing projects within different departments. Nowadays, when many employees work remotely, this service is even more useful. The platform is applicable for both small enterprises and huge international companies. So it’s no wonder that it has about 10 million active users per day. But how secure is Slack?
Of course, with so many users, the information shared on the platform may be an object of interest for hackers and competitors. It evokes certain Slack security concerns that you can face as a business owner or company’s website administrator.
Is Slack Secure?
This is the main question that we need to take into account. Slack has already done a great job to ensure the safety of its assets. It has adopted some strict regulations and protocols and also implemented special data encryption. So, Slack’s approach to securing sensitive data is quite serious.
However, is Slack completely secure nowadays? Do companies still need to worry when they use team chats and program options? The main question here is to what extent the companies that use Slack are ready to share responsibility with the platform. Since Slack is so popular and versatile, it will always be a target for cybercriminals who may use keyloggers, ransomware, phishing, and social engineering to create cyber threats.
That is why we’re here to share some Slack tips on how to protect your company, its workers as well as your peers and friends from unwanted intrusions.
Technological Ideas
Here are some ways to ensure Slack security:
- Make up a strong and reliable password. It is recommended to use an alphanumeric combination adding some special signs, such as ‘!’, ‘$’, ‘#’, and others. Make good use of lowercase and uppercase letters.
- Install Slack two-factor authentication. Go to the program’s settings and switch on this useful option by following the instructions. With 2FA Slack protection, a hacker will have to enter your smartphone first even if your password has already been broken. This additional layer of security in the form of Slack two-factor authentication will make all your data on the personal Slack account secure and protected.
- Avoid clicking links that do not seem trustworthy. It doesn’t matter whether you have received the link from a direct message or from some information in the channel. Be aware of all the dangers. Never click on links from Slack guest accounts or CDN links that are commonly accessible no matter how harmless they might look.
- Never share any sensitive information, especially using free Slack accounts. You may face the situation when you need to send some information when you chat via direct messaging. However, when you place some sensitive customers’ data, passwords, or corporate IPs, even the Slack 2FA can become useless. Everything that can give access to the company’s valuable data should be stored away from the platform.
- Invite only the users you know. Thoroughly check whether all the users on your account are active. It is especially applicable if you work in a big company. Over time, some users can become inactive, so it is better to remove them. Otherwise, you may end up with a malicious hacker in your team.
- Set a Slack user limit for those employees who may not need to see some information on the corporate channel. Such people can also use Slack guest accounts that provide restricted access by default. It is especially important if you are a manager or administrator.
- Protect Slack workspaces to keep communication secure and encourage other people in your company to do the same.
Human Factor in Slack Security
Here is another matter of Slack security concerns. Here are some ideas on how to manage and educate people within the company to ensure Better overall Slack security.
- Develop certain rules for personnel provisioning and de-provisioning. When an employee leaves the company, their access to Slack needs to be terminated on the very day of termination. The rules for worker onboarding and offboarding should be easily understandable and mandatory for all managers.
- Inform your employees about Slack security concerns and protection measures, such as the Slack two-factor protection. All the workers need to understand the necessity of switching on the authentication and following other security protocols.
- Encourage people on your team to follow security rules and check how well they are doing that. Try not to give access to your personal Slack account to those who do not need it for their work.
FAQ
Can I make Slack more secure?
Yes, sure. Enable the Slack two-factor authentication. In this case, even if your password becomes known to a hacker, the verification code of your phone will not allow them to go further.
Can I restrict someone’s access to Slack?
Of course. Go to Settings and opt for Organization Policies. There, you will see the tab for Permissions. Choose the name from the drop-down menu and that user will be restricted.
Who is allowed to see my private Slack channel?
If you opt for creating a private channel instead of a public one, it won’t be seen in the directory. So no one, except those who are invited, will be able to see it.