In recent years, the ability to detect and prevent phishing attacks from being carried out has improved dramatically. While this keeps our accounts safer, it forces hackers to find more complex, more innovative ways of fooling us. Email is no longer the only cybersecurity frontier, but communications channels like Teams and Slack, as well as collaboration apps like DropBox and OneDrive now pose a risk too.
By adding a collaboration security tool to your set-up, you can ensure that any files, documents, and links sent to your employees are not malicious. This allows your staff to spend more time collaborating with each other, rather than worrying about security risks.
When looking for a security tool to protect your various means of collaboration, it’s important to consider the following points:
With these points in mind, it’s worth considering how your organization operates, and the type of collaboration that occurs most often. What types of files and documents are being shared? How frequently are they shared? Do they need to be editable files, or are read-only versions sufficient? Once you’ve answered these questions, you can start comparing solutions to find the one that best meets your business’ needs.
In this article, we’ll explore the top collaboration security tools for OneDrive, Dropbox, and Box. Some of the solutions in this list are part of a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) – this is a solution that sits between the cloud and your users and will monitor the traffic sent between the two. Some of the solutions listed are extensions of email security systems, sometimes referred to as Integrated Cloud Messaging Security (ICMS).
New York based Avanan is a cybersecurity company that made its name in the email security sector. Not only does Avanan provide powerful inbox protection, but it also has a number of features for securing out of band communication and assets. It uses machine learning to gain an understanding of normal behavior and patterns, then alerts admins to any activities that do not fit within this pattern. This is in addition to comprehensive file analysis that includes sandboxing and content disarm and reconstruction (CDR) when necessary.
Avanan Features:
Compatibility: Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, Slack, Box, Dropbox, Sharepoint, Google Drive, and Sharefile.
Expert Insights’ Comments: Avanan is a highly trusted provider in the email space. It is a versatile option, with its ability to protect against file-sharing threats across multiple communication channels. Rather than requiring multiple security tools to cover different aspects of your organization, all communication security can be managed from one console. Avanan offers competitive pricing with all the details for SMBs (under 500 users) on their website, with larger enterprise organizations needing to contact them directly for details. Overall, we would recommend Avanan for its robust protection, and the wide coverage that it provides.
Check Point provides protection for a range of cloud tools to ensure that your users can continue to work flexibly, whilst being assured that your accounts are not at risk. Harmony is their email and collaboration tool that secures all of your main communication methods through one clear dashboard. This ensures that admins have full visibility of network events, however and wherever they occur.
Check Point Harmony Email and Collaboration Features:
Compatibility: OneDrive, Slack, Sharepoint, Microsoft 365, Teams, Google Workspace, Google Drive, ShareFile, Box, and Dropbox.
Expert Insights’ Comments: Current Harmony customers praise the solution’s ease of use (including set up and configuration) and say that the coverage provided is of a high quality. Such robust security and wide visibility ensures that admins can focus on more demanding tasks that need their attention. The fact that protection for all messaging and communication types is combined into one product ensures that there are no loopholes, and that threats can be addressed directly, wherever they arise. We would recommend Check Point’s Harmony solution to SMBs looking for a comprehensive solution to allowing secure collaboration.
Cisco was founded in 1984 as a digital communications company. Their technology spans security, collaboration, and networking solutions. Cloudlock is their solution to add a layer of security to your cloud sharing capabilities. The tool is a cloud-native cloud access security broker (CASB) that uses ML to detect behavioral anomalies and enacts customizable DLP policies to secure your data across the cloud environment.
Cisco Cloudlock Features:
Compatibility: Cloudlock integrates with 33 third-party services, including Salesforce, Microsoft 365, Slack, Dropbox, Box, Google Workspace, Splunk, IBM, Checkpoint, and other Cisco tools.
Expert Insights’ Comments: Cloudlock readily integrates with the wider Cisco app infrastructure, making it an ideal solution for organizations already familiar with the security company. Added to this, users often report that Cisco Cloudlock is quick to set up, offering security and value in minutes.
We would recommend Cisco Cloudlock to organizations that need continuous DLP monitoring, and robust security for challenging scenarios – be it complex environments, or advanced threats. Cisco’s UEBA ensures that your security is taken seriously, and events are assessed rigorously. Cisco is a widely trusted company, with Cloudlock being a sophisticated asset to any cybersecurity setup.
Based in Austin, Texas, Forcepoint aims to simplify the management of cloud security through its implementation of zero trust policies – this ensures that all devices and users must be verified before being granted access to corporate data. Their CASB solution discovers cloud applications, analyzes risk, and implements a range of control procedures. Policies are configured and data presented in an ergonomic dashboard which makes an admin’s job easier.
Forcepoint CASB Features:
Compatibility: OneDrive, Workday, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Box, Dropbox, Slack, Azure, and others.
Expert Insights’ Comments: Forcepoint offers zero trust network access (ZTNA), next-gen firewalls, and other technically sophisticated security tools to secure your network. Their CASB is versatile and reliable – it automatically scales, depending on network traffic and usage, and is highly reliable, boasting 99.99% uptime since 2015. Forcepoint includes a range of tools to enhance application visibility, and to effectively manage risk. The solution’s extensive discovery and logging capabilities make this a complete solution for enterprise organizations managing a large attack surface area.
Proofpoint was founded in 2002, and was acquired by Thoma Bravo in 2021. In its two decades, Proofpoint has developed a suite of advanced cybersecurity tools to protect against attacks, secure your email accounts, train your staff, and provide compliant archiving. Proofpoint CASB is an advanced solution that integrates with the whole Proofpoint suite of products to allow IT teams to identify and remediate risks to their cloud applications.
Proofpoint CASB Features:
Compatibility: Microsoft Office 365, OneDrive, Teams, Google Workspace, Google Drive, Box, Dropbox, Salesforce and Slack.
Expert Insights’ Comments: Proofpoint has identified that one of the largest risks that your network faces is from third-party (OAuth) apps and widgets. Proofpoint navigates this ever-changing risk by discovering and auditing all software based on its risk score, scope of permissions, and insights. The CASB solution provides ongoing monitoring, educates users on safe practices, and enacts remediation when needed. Proofpoint gives a good level of protection against the ever-evolving threat landscape. We would recommend Proofpoint CASB to SMEs and enterprise organizations, particularly those who already use Proofpoint for their other security needs.
SafeGuard Cyber, based in Charlottesville, VA, is able to protect your users and accounts through its Natural Language Understanding (NLU) backbone. Rather than just scanning files, or just identifying key words, NLU is able to understand a conversation to identify how a threat is being deployed. This helps to defend against the business email compromise (BEC) threats that are often initiated with malicious links and files. The company was founded in 2014, and since then has gained investment from Cisco and Salesforce – over the next few years, SafeGuard Cyber is sure to grow in technical capability, and market share.
SafeGuard Cyber Features:
Compatibility: The solution readily integrates with 30 communications channels. These include Microsoft 365, Zoom, Teams, LinkedIn, Sharepoint, Veeva, and IQVUA.
Expert Insights’ Comments: Having access to 30 different communications channels substantially enhances your network visibility. Your employees can find ways of working that are efficient and do not disrupt their productivity, whilst knowing they are secured. We would recommend SafeGuard Cyber for SMEs looking to secure multiple communications channels, without extensive technical knowledge or preexisting infrastructure.
Trend Micro is a multinational cybersecurity company with offices spread across the world. They offer a wide range of cybersecurity services, from XDR to web and application security, to file storage. Trend Micro is a trusted security provider that was able to block over 25.7 million threats that went undetected by other services in 2021. Cloud App Security is Trend Micro’s solution that identifies and addresses a host of cyberthreats, including phishing and malware. It uses pre-execution ML to identify ransomware, BEC, and other malicious attack types before they have a chance to impact on your network. The solution also uses Trend Micro’s own Deep Discovery sandbox technology to ensure any files are safe.
Trend Micro Cloud App Security Features:
Compatibility: Box, Dropbox, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Teams, and Sharepoint. Salesforce compatibility is also available – however this comes under an additional product.
Expert Insights’ Comments: Trend Micro Cloud App Security is a comprehensive and thorough solution that enhances your security posture, without impacting productivity or user experience. This is a widely trusted solution that often performs when current users are asked to review it. We would recommend Trend Micro for mid-market to larger enterprise customers. The solutions offers powerful protection, and the organization operates globally, ensuring you receive the support you need, wherever you are.
Headquartered in San Jose, CA, Zscaler is a cybersecurity company that specializes in zero trust solutions. Their CASB product allows administrators to implement policies to secure data across all channels, thereby reducing the management burden. It provides extensive visibility and granular data protection. With a range of API integrations, Zscaler can scan cloud platforms and SaaS applications to assess content and enhance security.
Zscaler CASB Features:
Compatibility: Microsoft 365, Box, Salesforce, Sharepoint, and OneDrive. Contact Zscaler for a detailed breakdown of the integrations.
Expert Insights’ Comments: Zscaler is well established in the zero trust sector, and this philosophy follows through to their CASB product, which ensures that any data shared within your network is safe and not in breach of any DLP policies. Its cloud browser isolation tool is particularly significant as it reduces the dangers of accessing risky sites, without interrupting productivity. The solution will scale as your organization grows, ensuring that you are always protected. We would recommend Zscaler to large organizations who need robust technical capabilities, and a granular level of control.
Collaboration security tools fall under the umbrella of Integrated Cloud Messaging Security (ICMS) tools. These are solutions that scan messages sent via a communications platform. Any malicious content can be identified and blocked from being send.
These tools will check that files are what they say they are. They will check, for instance, that a .pdf file is just that. Any additional content can be identified and removed if necessary. This prevents attackers using common file types to trick users into downloading and opening malicious content.
In recent years, the way that we work has changed drastically. Gone are the days where everyone worked in an office and computers were too bulky to take home. Now, many organizations allow remote working or have a bring-your-own-device policy. This has made it much harder to control and manage a business’ security infrastructure.
One way of regaining some control is through managing how these devices speak to one another. By monitoring and scanning the content that is shared between users, malicious content can be identified and removed. While this cannot protect the endpoint itself, it can act as a firebreak to prevent a whole group becoming affected.
Alex is an experienced journalist and content editor. He researches, writes, factchecks and edits articles relating to B2B cyber security and technology solutions, working alongside software experts. Alex was awarded a First Class MA (Hons) in English and Scottish Literature by the University of Edinburgh.
Craig MacAlpine is CEO and founder of Expert Insights. Before founding Expert Insights in August 2018, Craig spent 10 years as CEO of EPA cloud, an email security provider acquired by Ziff Davies, formerly J2Global (NASQAQ: ZD) in 2013, which has now been rebranded as VIPRE Email Security. Craig has extensive experience in the email security industry, with 20+ years of experience helping organizations to stay secure with innovative information security and cyber security solutions.