How to Manage External Access in Teams Admin Center

Microsoft Teams is a powerful collaboration tool that helps businesses increase productivity and communication. However, managing external access in Teams can be a challenge for administrators. This article will guide you through the process of managing external access in Teams Admin Center, so you can ensure that your organization’s data and security are protected.

Understanding External Access in Teams

External access (previously known as federation) allows users to communicate with people outside of your organization in Teams. This feature is particularly useful for businesses that need to collaborate with partners, vendors, or customers.

When you enable external access, you’re granting permission for users in your organization to communicate with users outside of your organization through Teams. It’s important to understand that external access can pose a security risk, so it’s important to manage it carefully.

Setting up External Access in Teams Admin Center

To set up external access in Teams Admin Center, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Teams Admin Center.
2. Select External access in the left navigation.
3. Click Edit in the top right corner.
4. Select the options you want to enable, such as allowing users to communicate with Skype for Business users, or allowing users to communicate with users in federated organizations.
5. Click Save to apply the changes.

It’s important to note that you can also control external access for individual users or groups in your organization by using the Teams client.

Managing External Access for Individual Users or Groups

To manage external access for individual users or groups in Teams, follow these steps:

1. Open the Teams client.
2. Click your profile picture in the top right corner, then click Settings.
3. Select External access in the left navigation.
4. Select the options you want to enable for the selected user or group.
5. Click Save to apply the changes.

Best Practices for Managing External Access

To ensure that your organization’s data and security are protected when using external access in Teams, it’s important to follow these best practices:

1. Limit external access to only the users who need it.
2. Ensure that external access is only enabled for trusted partners, vendors, and customers.
3. Regularly review and monitor external access usage to identify any potential security risks.
4. Use Azure AD B2B collaboration to manage external access for partners and customers.
5. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for all users who have external access.

Conclusion

Managing external access in Teams can be a challenge, but it’s important to ensure that your organization’s data and security are protected. By following the steps and best practices outlined in this article, you can successfully manage external access in Teams Admin Center.

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