Better Collaboration Tools Need Better Security

Better Collaboration Tools Need Better Security

Workforce collaboration using modern tools and technology can give agencies a vital boost in productivity and morale. Effective collaboration can break down silos and push missions forward. But getting to a positive, modern collaboration environment can be a daunting task for federal agencies, especially with today’s mobile workforce. With an increase in people and even full teams working in remote environments, the amount of collaboration endpoints that need to be secured is growing exponentially.


As agencies modernize with 21st-century collaboration tools, they need to keep one eye on potential threats and vulnerabilities, and take the necessary steps to secure their evolving IT infrastructure.


Securing Your Foundation


Collaboration tools are only as secure as the network they run on. Before introducing applications that add endpoints and new areas of vulnerability, agencies need to have a solid framework in place. 


Building new technology on a faulty foundation can be a recipe for disaster. But if an agency examines its network to prime it for the introduction of modern collaboration tools, it can take advantage of a valuable opportunity to fully evaluate the current environment for security gaps. What solution exists for access control? Is there airtight patching and update protocols in place? 


Agencies should get as granular as possible in their diagnosis to create a better starting point for new technology. With collaboration tools, which are by definition interoperable, an agency could compound vulnerability by opening its network prematurely, even doing so with the goal of better communication. But by securing the environment and not just the tools, an agency can cultivate a multilayered defense—a crucial aspect of any cybersecurity plan. 


Leverage Existing Documentation


Creating a holistic security environment can be daunting, especially since the task of ..

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