- Microsoft automatically enables security features for business users
- Updates include malicious URL blocking and phishing detection.
- Any user who prefers these to be disabled can do so in Settings.
Microsoft is strengthening its security posture for businesses, and starting January 12, 2026, Microsoft Teams will automatically enable critical messaging security features, aiming to protect users who rely solely on standard security configurations.
The new administrative update is part of Microsoft’s move toward a “security by default” culture, protecting organizations, reducing the attack surface, and raising the bar across the board.
“We’re improving messaging security in Microsoft Teams by enabling key security protections by default,” Microsoft told administrators in an update to the Microsoft 365 message center. “This update helps protect users from malicious content and provides options to report incorrect detections.”
Default insurance
The update will mean changes for any tenant that has default messaging security settings, with three protections set to turn on automatically.
The first of these is “Weaponable File Type Protection,” a feature that blocks messages containing dangerous file types or malicious URLs in Teams channels and chats, particularly those that are high-risk vectors for malware execution.
Another enhanced security provision includes malicious URL detection for real-time scanning of links to flag suspicious sites and domains, further protection against phishing attacks. The advent of AI has led to a huge increase in the frequency and severity of phishing attacks, so additional protections will be sought to mitigate them.
The latest feature added is a feedback mechanism that reports incorrect security detections, encouraging end users to report false positives so Microsoft can calibrate threat detection algorithms.
Any admin who prefers to maintain the most basic security provisions should review settings before January 12, which you can do by going to the Teams admin center and then Messaging > Messaging Settings > Messaging Security.
Via: BleepingComputer
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