Microsoft Groups provides new protections as impersonation assaults transfer from messages to first‑contact calls

Because of a brand new function for Microsoft Groups, the following time you hear the app’s well-known ring for calls, you will not have a model impersonator on the opposite finish.

The change is about to start out rolling out in mid-Could. The rollout ought to be full by the tip of the month.

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“Model Impersonation Safety for Groups Calling provides proactive safeguards in opposition to fraudulent or misleading exterior callers who try to seem as trusted organizations. This helps cut back social-engineering dangers and improves tenant safety when customers obtain first-contact exterior calls. This replace aligns with Microsoft’s ongoing investments in caller id safety and safe collaboration.”

Why Groups is a goal for impersonation

The Microsoft Teams app on a laptop arranged in New York, US, on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. Microsoft Corp. risks a hefty European Union fine after regulators accused the company of abusing its market power by bundling the Teams video-conferencing app to its other business software. Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Groups is more and more used for exterior communication, which has made model impersonation a rising concern. (Picture credit score: Getty Photos | Bloomberg)

We first covered this feature in January, but it is only rolling out now. While many people use Teams for internal chats, external calls are a normal part of sales, support, and client work.

If you speak with customers or partners, you probably receive a steady stream of calls from unknown contacts. That makes Teams an attractive target for brand impersonation and other social‑engineering attacks.

Teams users have already been on the receiving end of phishing attempts. Earlier this year, Check Point researchers discovered attackers using urgent billing names to bypass detection and strain folks into responding. Model Impersonation Safety is supposed to catch the identical form of habits when it occurs over a name as a substitute of a message.

Microsoft continues so as to add security measures throughout Groups, however secure practices nonetheless matter. It is best to deal with sudden invitations or calls with warning and confirm something that feels misplaced. If one thing appears suspicious, you must ask an admin to substantiate who’s attempting to achieve you.