With remote work becoming the new reality during the COVID-19 crisis, organizations are tapping popular collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom, and Citrix Workspace to ensure business continuity. That’s not the only challenge, the shift to remote work has also exposed organizations to several security challenges. The rising adoption of collaboration tools has created a demand for greater security with enterprise data at stake.
Speaking to Toolbox, Michela Menting, Research Director at ABI Research, said, “Securing a remote work setup involves laying down policies for vulnerability management and incident handling, correctly configuring devices remotely, having proper authentication and authorization measures in place, securing data in transit and in rest, and minimizing the chances of data leaks or exposure to third parties.â€
Against this backdrop, we list down the top ten remote working tools that check these boxes and offer added security and protection from COVID-19 themed cyberthreats.
Table of Contents
1. Microsoft Teams
2. Slack
3. Google Drive
4. Basecamp
5. Zoom
6. TeamViewer
7. Toggl
8. Asana
9. Hangouts
10. LogMeIn
Microsoft Teams
Slack’s rival Microsoft Teams, used by a large number of businesses across the world, is integrated with Office 365. However, the app hosts a number of features that aid its popularity — such as seamless chat, online meeting, and document storage, aside from integration with apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, SharePoint, and Outlook. For people working from home, Microsoft Teams can provide direct access to Skype, OneDrive, and SharePoint, enable instant communications, project management and collaboration, and access via several devices.
What makes it secure? Microsoft Teams comes with the same security protocols that feature in the Office 365 suiteOpens a new window , featuring team-wide and organization-wide two-factor authentication, single sign-on through Active Directory, and encryption of data in transit and at rest. The tool stores and encrypts files and notes in SharePoint, comes with Advanced Threat protection (ATP) to block malicious content, and enforces conditional access policies for Teams. Security certifications such as ISO 27001, ISO 27018, SSAE16 SOC 1 and SOC 2, HIPAA, and EU Model Clauses (EUMC) also make it among the most secure remote working tools in the world.
Learn More: Microsoft’s Growing Dominance in Enterprise Chat Could Topple SlackOpens a new window
Slack
Slack is a popular enterprise communication platform that lets employees interact with each other in real-time, share files, and collaborate on projects, thereby negating the need for meetings. It can easily scale up from two-person interactions to supporting enterprise-wide groups and is as simple to use as any of the popular social media apps used by billions. Slack has, to a large extent, replaced email as the primary mode of remote communication among employees. The collaboration tool is now valued at more than $20 billion.
It also lets users integrate other apps such as GitHub, Google Analytics, SalesForce, or StackOverflow. However, Slack runs on AWS Cloud and may not be as suitable to business users as Microsoft Teams which comes with the Office 365 enterprise pack and is integrated with Microsoft’s suite of apps.
What makes it secure? Slack features single sign-on, domain claiming and support for enterprise mobility management to ensure only authorized users can access company accounts. Both data at rest and in transit are protected using Slack Enterprise Key Management (Slack EKM), audit logs and integrations with top data loss prevention (DLP) providers. The company also holds security attestations such as ISO/IEC 27001 (Information Security Management System), ISO/IEC 27018 (Protection of Personally Identifiable Information), and is a member of the Cloud Security Alliance being compliant with the EU/U.S. Privacy Shield.
Learn More: What Does Slack’s Dominance Mean for Work?Opens a new window
Google Drive
Even though Google Drive exploits the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the Cloud to enable remote work and file sharing, it is useful for organizations that rely on G Suite apps, that enable document-sharing, slides, and spreadsheets, access enterprise data on multiple devices. As Google’s default cloud storageOpens a new window service, Drive enjoys tens of millions of users across the globe.
What makes it secure? As it is integrated with a number of G Suite applications, Google Drive needs to be highly secure to protect user and enterprise data, and it doesn’t disappoint on this front. Drive lets users set up two-factor authentication, enable account recovery, back up stored data to prevent loss, control which apps have access to their data, secure their accounts using Titan keys, encrypt uploaded data to secure them even if hackers gain access to Google’s servers, and use a trusted password manager to secure passwords. These steps ensure that documents stored in Google Drive are secure even if users access them from their homes.
Learn More: Google Muscling AWS, Microsoft for Cloud FootholdOpens a new window
Basecamp
Basecamp is among the most popular remote collaboration toolsOpens a new window in the corporate world, enabling companies to optimize project management through setting up to-dos, allocating timelines for each project, sharing files and web links, setting up email alerts, and enabling team communications on a variety of platforms such as iOS, Android, Mac, and PC. The fact that it enables cross-department communications and collaboration ensures that projects can be easily monitored, modified, and streamlined based on unique requirements of businesses.
Users have the freedom to categorize various tasks under headers, chat with each other on Campfire, access company announcements on Company HQ. Business leaders can monitor various projects that are either completed or in progress across departments without having to set up person-to-person meetings.
What makes it secure? To ensure the security of enterprise data, Basecamp backs them up daily, stores data in multiple locations, transmits data over secure HTTPS connections, and encrypts backup of data using GPG. The company also secures its servers using biometric locksOpens a new window and round-the-clock interior and exterior surveillance monitoring, conducts audits to ensure its systems are PCI compliant, encrypts connections using AES_128_CBC, authenticates messages using SHA2 hashes, and employs ECDHE_RSA as the key exchange mechanism. Additionally, the company also runs bug bounty programs in HackerOne to allow the developer community to test its security credentials.
Learn More: How Basecamp Defined a Movement-and Stayed at the TopOpens a new window
Zoom
Rated the leader in Gartner 2019 Magic Quadrant for Meeting Solutions, Zoom enables remote collaboration, audio conferencing, video conferencingOpens a new window , chats, and webinars for schools, governments, businesses, and social groups. The tool supports both desktop and mobile platforms, business users can add up to 1000 video participants, 49 videos on a screen, allows video recordings, screen-sharing, supports both Outlook and Gmail calendars, and secures audio and video conferencing with end-to-end encryption, role-based user security, password protection, and waiting rooms.
What makes it secure: Though a recent Zoom whitepaper Opens a new window cites it “places security as the highest priority in the operations of its suite of products and services,†a spate of events has put the spotlight on the conferencing app’s privacy and security features which could significantly impact its user growth. The company is currently facing a severe backlash over the lack of end-to-end encryption, Zoom bombing, and data sharing practices. Additionally, Bitdefender researchers found malicious Zoom clonesOpens a new window repackaged like the original version that targets homebound workforces.
Originally developed as an enterprise tool, Zoom admitted Opens a new window it was unprepared for the COVID-19 led unprecedented surgeOpens a new window that helped uncover serious issues with the platform. When Toolbox team earlier reached out for comments on the 20x user growth in Q1, Zoom spokesperson shared, “With the reliability of our high-quality video platform, we have seen a large increase in the number of free users, meeting minutes and new video use cases.†However, the statement now stands in sharp contrast as the company put privacy on hold in a bid to support new users. For now, Zoom is in course-correction mode and has adopted a security-first approach to mend its image. The company has deployed a series of checks, including upgrading the current bug bounty program and dedicating all engineering resources to focus on privacy, security, and safety issues.
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TeamViewer
TeamViewer is a widely-used remote desktop software that enables people working from remote locations to access and control computers connected to their servers anytime as well as share screens on iOS and Android devices, thereby making it irrelevant whether they are working from home or at their office desks. The platform features 256Bit AES encryption, thereby enabling secure connections and supports over two billion corporate devices around the world.
To enable IT professionals to manage, collaborate, and enable their infrastructure across the world, TeamViewer sports features like TeamViewer Remote Management that comes with remote monitoring, asset tracking, backup and endpoint protection features, and Monitis, a cloud-based, agentless monitoring solution for websites, servers, and applications.
What makes it secure? Considering that it enables remote access to enterprise devices, TeamViewer comes with features like two-factor authentication, monitoring, reporting, unusual activity detection, and AES 256-bit session encryption for data in transit to prevent hackers from taking control over devices. Its encryption controls are based on 2048 RSA private/public key exchange and AES (256-bit) session encryption and program files are secured using DigiCert code signing technology. For additional security, TeamViewer also generates a session password that changes with every software start and enforces password reset if it detects unusual activity.
Learn More: Virtual Desktop Popularity Goes up as Costs Come DownOpens a new window
Toggl
Toggl is among a few well-known project management tools that can help businesses run operations and plan their future course even in times of crises such as the COVID-19 outbreak that has made remote work a norm. Toggl enables businesses to track work data, create estimates, plan existing and new projects, set up new processes, generate team reports, set up time tracking reminders, and collaborate on documents and reports. The tool is handy for remotely tracking the performance of team members, enabling data visualization, automating certain processes, and scheduling alerts.
With remote work becoming the new world order, organizations can leverage Toggl to ensure the performance of employees is not affected and that targets are being met within pre-defined timelines. The tool will also help businesses adjust employee headcount, expenditures, and investments as per existing market conditions.
What makes it secure? Like most other collaboration tools, Toggl transmits data over public networks by encrypting data in transit with TLS 1.2 protocols, AES256 encryption and SHA2 signatures. It comes with protections against DDoS attacks and hardware failures, automatically backs up data in several locations, features a centralized logging system in the production environment to monitor security, and also secures data at rest with either AES256 or AES 128 level encryption.
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Asana
Asana is another widely-used web and mobile application for enterprise users that helps teams organize, track, and manage their work. Team members working from home can use the tool to create projects, assign work to teammates, specify deadlines, and work on reporting tools, file attachments, calendars, and more. The tool features a Calendar View for projects and tasks, member management, team management, password and security controls, and comes with pre-made project templates to help teams set up new projects and start monitoring in quick time.
Asana stands out for featuring many minute characteristics that team members can exploit to optimize productivity even when they are working from home. These include an intuitive and good-looking interface, precise to-do lists that teams can distribute amongst themselves, a Calendar View that helps track projects with stringent timelines, and the ability to support unlimited dashboards and unlimited team members. The enterprise version also features better data archiving, SAML support, and priority tech support.
What makes it secure? Asana uses Amazon’s relational database service (RDS) to manage user data and retains the flexibility to move data to a different data center in case of database failure to ensure round-the-clock functioning. The company’s servers are hosted in secure, SAS 70 audited data centers and access to these servers are limited to authorised users who can authenticate via Google Accounts or set up SAML.
Learn More: Covid-19 Lockdown Sparks Remote Working RevolutionOpens a new window
Hangouts
Enjoying complete integration with G Suite, Hangouts lets remote workers interact via video or audio conferencing via their Gmail accounts or chat with each other through text messages. Supporting both Android and iOS operating systems, Hangouts allows up to 250 G Suite Enterprise users to join a video conference from the web or their mobile apps, share their screens, and present documents, spreadsheets, or presentations to their teams. Google will replace the G-Suite version of Hangouts by “Hangouts Meet†and “Hangouts Chat†in June this year.
What makes it secure? In terms of security, Hangouts lets enterprise administrators archive, preserve, search, and export Chat-specific data and helps users to secure their data and accounts using features like mobile device management, single sign-on, two-factor authentication, admin settings, compliance, and Vault retention, holds, search, and export. However, since Hangouts does not encrypt data at rest, users need to ensure they don’t fall for phishing or impersonation attacks or share their G Suite passwords with unauthorised people to keep their accounts secure.
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LogMeIn
LogMeIn is a popular cloud-based remote connectivity service for collaboration, IT management and customer engagement, letting enterprise users log in securely to enterprises devices and applications, access and administer company software, diagnose and troubleshoot computers, smartphones, and tablets, and conduct PBX calls over secure VPN networks. Additional features include enabling users to share files across devices, access most commonly visited websites, cloud and desktop applications, and remote access work computers from their homes.
What makes it secure? Security is the core of LogMeIn’s offerings for enterprises. The company uses SSL/TLS (OpenSSL) protocol for communications to provide authentication and protection against eavesdropping, tampering and message forgery, uses PKI certificates to verify server identity, and authenticates users with passwords and one-time codes. It also lets users detect unauthorized activity through detailed event logs and video recordings of remote access sessions.
Learn More: LastPass Owner LogMeIn Is Acquired for $4.3 BillionOpens a new window
Closing Thoughts
Popular collaboration tools such as Zoom, Basecamp, Slack and Microsoft Teams are now featuring end-to-end encryption, automatic backup of stored data and seamless user interfaces to enable the remote working revolution while helping organizations cut costs on infrastructure. With the needs of organizations and the nature of cyber threats becoming more complex, these tools will have to continuously evolve and ensure ease of use, but not at the cost of security or efficiency.
Editor’s Note: The article was updated April 8 to reflect the current Zoom ranking.
Do you think remote working tools need strong security credentials to merit mass adoption? Comment below or let us know on LinkedInOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , or FacebookOpens a new window . We’d love to hear from you!