As communication, collaboration, and customer engagement channels grow, and AI becomes commonplace, security and compliance risk are increasing as well. Companies must proactively secure these platforms to protect customer data, safeguard intellectual property, meet appropriate compliance requirements, and ensure brand reputation.
Metrigy’s latest research study, “Workplace Collaboration and Contact Center Security: 2026,” provides data-driven, actionable insights for successfully creating and implementing security and compliance strategies to maximize the ROI of emerging technologies like generative AI.
The Rising Tide of Security Incidents
The data is clear: security incidents are on the rise. A significant 30.5% of companies reported experiencing an attack on their communications and collaboration applications in 2025, which is up from 20.5% in 2023. That represents a more than 300% increase since we first started tracking attacks 2021. Furthermore, 28.0% of companies had an attack on their contact center platforms. These incidents often involve account takeover, deepfake voice/video impersonation, and malware/phishing.
The consequences of failing to address these risks are severe, including potential data loss, reputational harm, and a negative business impact from improper app security. Ignoring these issues can even incentivize employees to bypass IT and use unsanctioned consumer apps.
Taking Proactive Steps: The Security Advantage
Our study demonstrates that companies who proactively address security and compliance are better positioned to achieve measurable business benefits from adopting emerging technology. These “Success Group” companies show significantly different practices:
- Formal Security Programs: Nearly half (49.8%) of all companies have a formal workplace collaboration security program, with 53.2% of the Success Group having one, compared to 48.0% of the non-success group. For the contact center, 50.5% have a formal security strategy.
- Leadership Involvement: Success Group companies are more likely to involve their CISO/CSO. For workplace collaboration apps, 89.8% of the Success Group receive CISO/CSO guidance before deployment, versus 76.9% of the non-success group. A staggering 84.4% of the Success Group have a Chief Compliance Officer, compared to just 51.0% of the non-success group.
- Increased Spending: A majority of companies (64.6%) are increasing their security spend for workplace collaboration, driven primarily by the need to improve their overall security posture. Notably, 79.8% of the Success Group are increasing this spend, versus 56.1% of the non-success group.
- AI Security: As generative AI use grows (49.8% of companies are using or planning to use it), 58.1% of those using it have adopted a security and compliance policy, with human review of output being the primary component.
Leveraging Technology and Compliance
The study also highlights the increasing role of technology in defense:
- Third-Party Platforms: 43.0% of companies now use a third-party security management platform for workplace collaboration. The reported benefits are substantial: a 44.3% reduction in Mean Time to Detect and a 98% reduction in Mean Time to Resolve an incident.
- Compliance for Intelligence: Almost 70% of companies use compliance data for business intelligence, which can help identify discussion topics, workflow bottlenecks, risks, and incidents.
To thrive amidst the digital shift, securing your collaboration and customer engagement platforms is non-negotiable. Don’t fall behind the curve.
