Most business leaders are already familiar with the common ways cybercriminals try to trick employees through emails, texts, phone calls and even physical mail. Now attackers are expanding beyond those traditional methods and targeting the collaboration platforms companies use every day such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Chat and others.
Messaging services have become the backbone of modern communication. They keep teams connected across offices, cities and time zones. Unfortunately, their convenience also makes them an attractive target for cybercriminals.

Cybercriminals understand that employees tend to trust internal messaging platforms. A link sent over Slack or Teams often feels more legitimate than one sent by email. Hackers take advantage of that trust by using sophisticated social engineering tactics to send malicious files, links to phishing sites, or by impersonating coworkers and managers. A single careless click can expose login credentials, compromise sensitive data, or give attackers an entry point into your systems.

Another growing concern is typosquatting. Attackers register domains that look almost identical to real company or partner domains, such as swapping “.co” for “.com”. Fake sites like this are then used inside messaging platforms to trick employees into sharing information or credentials.

The good news is that businesses can take steps to reduce these risks and stay ahead of attackers.

1. Monitoring and Detection Tools – Security tools now exist that can monitor third-party applications such as Slack and Teams for unusual or malicious activity. They detect dangerous links, unauthorized logins, or suspicious data transfers before they cause major problems.
2. Typosquatting Protection – Proactive monitoring can detect when attackers register look-alike domains. Early detection allows a business to act before those domains are used in phishing campaigns.
3. Employee Awareness Training – Employees remain the first line of defense. Regular training ensures they can recognize scams across all platforms and know how to respond to suspicious messages.