Looks like Microsoft just gave your office Wi-Fi a little too much power. Starting this December, Microsoft Teams will automatically tell your company whether you’re in the office or working remotely, and employees everywhere aren’t exactly thrilled about it. Teams will auto-update your work location According to Microsoft, a new update to Microsoft Teams will “automatically update your work location when you connect to your organization’s Wi-Fi.” That means the app can now figure out if you’re in the office and reflect that information on your Teams profile, no manual status updates needed. The feature, which will be off by default, can be enabled by your company’s administrator.
So yes, if you’re working from a café, Teams might just rat you out. Microsoft says it’s for “clarity” Microsoft says the feature is meant to “reduce confusion at the workplace,” allowing managers and coworkers to easily see who’s in the office. According to Windows Central: It can be a productivity booster, meaning you’ll no longer have to manually look for your counterparts at the office or even give them a call; you can easily pinpoint their location via Teams as long as they are connected to the office’s Wi-Fi. In other words, the company insists it’s all about making teamwork smoother, not snoopier. Privacy concerns are rising But privacy experts aren’t convinced. “Location data is the gorilla in the cage when it comes to sensitive data collection,” warns TechRadar, which first spotted the feature. While connecting to Wi-Fi might seem harmless, linking that to Teams in a way that lets others see your location could be a slippery slope.
It might spark awkward situations, like your boss realising you’re not actually at your desk, or colleagues knowing when you’ve stepped out for a break. As TechRadar put it, “Trying to get some peace in the office to get some work done might soon be a thing of the past.” Meanwhile, Teams faces a security scare Adding to the bad news, cybersecurity researchers have discovered a new technique that lets hackers steal encrypted authentication tokens from Microsoft Teams on Windows. According to Cybersecurity News: This method bypasses recent security hardening, posing risks for data theft and unauthorized access to chats, emails, and SharePoint files. Essentially, hackers could impersonate users, sending messages or emails “on behalf of victims,” making it perfect for phishing or internal scams. Microsoft has acknowledged that Teams has become a high-value target for both cybercriminals and state-backed hackers, given its widespread use.
The company says attackers are increasingly exploiting Teams’ features, from chat and video calls to file sharing, to gain access to sensitive data. Just in time for the holidays The timing couldn’t be more ironic, a feature that monitors where you work rolling out just as the holiday season begins.
So, if you were planning to “work remotely” from a beach this December, you might want to double-check your Wi-Fi connection.
The post Microsoft Teams will now inform if you’re not in office:Starting December, the platform will automatically detect your location when you join office Wi-Fi appeared first on Tri-Cities India.
