Microsoft plans to add a new Teams feature that lets meeting admins identify and control third-party bots before they join.
According to the Microsoft 365 Roadmap, the feature is scheduled to begin rolling out in May 2026 on Desktop, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android versions of Microsoft Teams.
Bots that are part of a company’s internal tools and used for transcription and taking notes are generally considered lower risk. Security risks come from malicious bots that criminals use to compromise communications, hijack conversations, and steal company data.
Thales reported that the growing accessibility of AI tools is enabling cybercriminals to create and deploy malicious bots responsible for 37% of all internet traffic.
The upcoming bot identification feature in Microsoft Teams is designed to help admins prevent cybercriminals from abusing meetings to carry out attacks.
“During Teams meetings, if there is an external 3P bot trying to join the meeting, organizers will be able to see a clear representation of the bots while they wait in the lobby,” the company said.
“Organizers will be required to explicitly and separately admit these bots into the meeting, if really required. This approach will ensure that no one inadvertently accepts the external bots into the meeting, ensuring that the organizers have full control over the presence of these bots.”
In its latest report, Cloudflare said automated traffic still makes up a large share of internet activity and classified many requests as bot-driven, including both benign and malicious automation.
