ForceNow Blog

5 Everyday Business Tools That Could Be Putting You at Cyber Risk (And How to Fix It)

Written by Clay Macdonald | Jun 6, 2025 3:33:00 PM

Cyber risk isn’t always about sophisticated hackers targeting global corporations.


In reality, many breaches start with something far more ordinary — the tools your team uses every day.

 

From email and file sharing to video conferencing and CRMs, modern business runs on cloud-based platforms. But without the right protections, these tools can open the door to cybercriminals.

 

Let’s look at 5 common tools that may be putting your business at risk — and what you can do to stay protected.

 

 

🚩 1. Email Platforms (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365)

Risk: Phishing, account takeovers, malware attachments.

Email is still the #1 attack vector for businesses of all sizes.
A single employee clicking a malicious link can give attackers full access to your systems — or worse, your customer data.

 

How to fix it:

  • Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all accounts

  • Use advanced phishing & malware protection

  • Regularly train employees on phishing awareness

  • Monitor for account login anomalies with 24/7 threat detection (ForceNow can help)

🚩 2. Collaboration Tools (Slack, Teams)

Risk: Data leakage, exposed credentials, poor permissions.

It’s easy to forget how much sensitive information flows through team chats — passwords, customer records, contracts.

 

How to fix it:

  • Limit external guest access

  • Set strong permissions & data retention policies

  • Encrypt sensitive files before sharing

  • Monitor for unusual activity (ForceNow’s MDR services provide 24/7 monitoring for tools like these)

🚩 3. File Sharing Tools (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive)

Risk: Shadow IT, accidental data exposure, unauthorized sharing.

Employees often create and share documents outside of company controls. If file links are misconfigured or left public, attackers can easily find and steal sensitive data.

 

How to fix it:

  • Conduct regular file permission audits

  • Educate employees on secure sharing practices

  • Implement data loss prevention (DLP) tools

  • Leverage ForceNow’s risk assessments to detect exposed data

🚩 4. CRM Platforms (HubSpot, Salesforce)

Risk: API vulnerabilities, unpatched integrations, compromised accounts.

Your CRM contains your most valuable business data — leads, customer records, revenue pipelines. Attackers often target CRM platforms through weak API connections or misconfigured third-party apps.

 

How to fix it:

  • Use strong integration vetting practices

  • Regularly patch and update CRM tools

  • Enable audit logging & monitoring

  • Get continuous security visibility from ForceNow’s managed protection solutions

🚩 5. Video Conferencing (Zoom, Microsoft Teams)

Risk: Meeting hijacking, exposed recordings, phishing via invites.

With the rise of remote work, video platforms became essential — but also targets. Improper settings or weak controls can allow outsiders to eavesdrop or steal sensitive meeting data.

 

How to fix it:

  • Require passwords for all meetings

  • Disable recording by default

  • Limit screen sharing permissions

  • Monitor for unauthorized meeting access attempts

 

 

Next Step: Know Your Risks, Fix Your Gaps

Want to know if your current business tools are putting you at risk?


We’ll show you — no tech jargon required.

 

👉 Book your free risk assessment here
👉 Learn more about ForceNow’s protection plans → www.forcenow.com