The security of an organisation is only as strong as its weakest link. Often, those weak links are found in communication channels. The cost of a data breach is often high for a business, in both financial and reputational terms, and cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated. This is where business communication providers play a vital role. More than just facilitating messages between teams, these platforms offer an essential layer of protection for sensitive information, internal processes, and digital infrastructure.
Here’s how partnering with a trusted business communication provider can significantly enhance your organisation’s security posture.
Reduced shadow IT risks
When employees resort to personal messaging apps or unapproved platforms for work communication (a form of "shadow IT"), they can unknowingly expose the organisation to data loss, breaches, and compliance violations. Business communication providers offer centralised, secure environments where conversations, files, and records are stored and transmitted within governed, trackable frameworks. When the provided communication platforms are easy-to-use, employees should be less likely to turn to unauthorised apps (such as WhatsApp or Gmail) to get work done. This helps provide peace of mind to a business while also allowing companies to have visibility into what is being shared and by whom, thus reducing the risk of sensitive data leaking through unsecured channels.
Advanced Security Integrations for Real-Time Defence
One of the most significant advantages of modern communication providers is their seamless integration with an organisation's wider security ecosystem. For user authentication, platforms should support strong multi-factor authentication (MFA) through dedicated authenticator apps or hardware tokens.
Furthermore, these communication platforms can become a critical data source for a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system. By feeding activity logs from the communication tool into the SIEM, security teams can correlate events—such as logins from unusual locations or anomalous data access patterns—with alerts from other parts of the network.
This creates a powerful, proactive defence posture. When the SIEM detects a credible threat, it can trigger automated responses. To ensure these critical notifications are seen immediately by the IT department, many organisations configure their systems to send alerts through a dedicated message. This ensures that security personnel are informed in real-time, allowing for a rapid response to security incidents.
End-to-end encryption for safeguarding sensitive data
Whether at rest or in transit, data needs to be protected. To clarify, data in transit is typically protected by Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.2 or 1.3, while the end-to-end encryption of messages can be done with Signal Protocol. For data that’s stored on servers, businesses may choose to use AES-256 encryption. Fortunately, modern business communication tools often include built-in encryption features that encrypt data. End-to-end encryption ensures that only the intended recipient can read the message, making it difficult for cybercriminals to intercept or tamper with data. While a positive for all businesses, this is especially important for industries that handle highly sensitive information, such as healthcare, finance, and legal services. Using encrypted communication tools can help businesses meet regulatory requirements and protect their clients' confidential information. It can also assist businesses in demonstrating compliance with frameworks like ISO/IEC 27001 and HIPAA. Using platforms with specified encryption standards can help businesses meet A.10.1 Cryptographic Controls.
In-built training and awareness for users
The embedded features of communication providers can also serve as a method for educating employees on secure communication practices. This could be through embedded training modules, system-wide announcements, or even phishing simulations. Teaching safer habits can make a big impact in reducing security risks within internal communication, and these platforms provide a great space for teaching. For instance, when composing messages or sharing files, users might receive real-time reminders about sensitive data handling or phishing risks. Additionally, regular reminders and updates on new security protocols can be easily shared through these platforms to keep employees informed and vigilant.
Secured collaboration with external partners
It's rare for an organisation to work in isolation. Companies tend to collaborate with a myriad of individuals and other businesses, creating hybrid teams. These hybrid teams may consist of freelancers, contractors, and third-party consultants. Sadly, while this interconnectedness drives innovation and allows for delegation and efficiency, it also (naturally) increases the risk of security breaches. Business communication providers allow for controlled external access, often with adjustable permission levels, secure guest accounts, and expiring links. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) lets administrators define specific permissions for guest roles, such as view-only or limited editing access. This gives businesses more control, ensuring that external collaborators can access only what they need, for only as long as necessary. Additionally, in many cases, these interactions are also logged and auditable, providing further accountability and traceability. Another option for businesses focused on collaboration security is the incorporation of OAuth 2.0, a standard protocol that allows for secure, delegated access without sharing passwords. This protocol is often used to integrate third-party applications securely.
Compliance reporting and audit trails
Business communication platforms frequently offer built-in audit trails, which log every user interaction, message, login attempt, and file transfer. See, the robustness of a business' security posture is also about being able to demonstrate what protections were in place after an incident occurs, rather than just being about preventing attacks. Audit trails can be invaluable logs to hand over during forensic investigations, as well as for compliance reporting and internal audits. Plus, these logs are often exportable in standardised formats like Syslog or Common Event Format (CEF), allowing them to be fed into SIEM tools for automated analysis, threat hunting, and long-term storage. So when regulators or stakeholders demand evidence that security protocols were followed, detailed communication logs can help prove that due diligence was met.
Content filtering and data loss prevention (DLP)
Often, advanced communication providers come equipped with data loss prevention tools. These tools automatically scan messages and attachments for sensitive information such as personally identifiable information or confidential project details. If an employee attempts to send proprietary data outside of the organisation, the system can automatically block the action or alert administrators. Many DLP mechanisms use techniques like regular expression (regex) matching to find patterns that look like credit card numbers or social security numbers. They can also use keyword lists for confidential project names or machine learning classifiers to identify sensitive content based on context. In a similar vein, content filtering capabilities help prevent phishing, malware links, or inappropriate material from being circulated within the network, further reducing the attack surface.
The security posture of an organisation is built through each layer of interaction. Business communication providers provide a multi-faceted approach to ensure secure communication channels within a company. In an era where data is currency and breaches are costly, investing in secure, intelligent communication is becoming more and more essential.