Slack (Application)

Slack is a team collaboration and messaging application founded in 2013 by Steven Butterfield, Eric Costello, Cal Henderson, and Serguei Mourachov. At its core functionality, Slack is an Internet Relay Chat (IRC), meaning it allows for online chatting. The application began as an internal communication tool for employees at Tiny Speck, a Vancouver-based venture that produced the now discontinued game, Glitch. As of January 2017, Slack has four million active users and 60,000 teams. The name, Slack, is an acronym for "Searchable Log of All Conversation and Knowledge".

Slack is available on any device, so accessing one's team and work can be done anywhere. Slack allows for a variety of communication methods ranging from large group chats to one-on-one discussions. The application's channels and direct messaging functionalities support this. Slack users may integrate third-party services into their application as well as install bots, which are meant to assist teams in various tasks. Some of these bots also serve as additional security measures for Slack customers.

Features

At its core, Slack is a messaging application. The added features make it a more appropriate tool for the workplace setting. Slack streamlines communication by integrating with numerous third-party services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Trello, Twitter, Wunderlist, Skype and Google+ Hangouts, and Chatlio. These integrations allow for the use of these tools in a single place. Users can also add emojis to their messages, which other users can click on to view the reaction.

Channels

Screenshot of Slack's desktop interface featuring #random channel: Source

Slack channels are a way of organizing team conversations. They can be for a project, topic, team, or anything else where all members have a transparent view of what is going on. Users can be involved in multiple channels at once. Channels are distinguished by the hashtag in front of the channel name. The idea behind incorporating hashtags into Slack channels was to spark conversation, anywhere from general to specific.

Channels on Slack can be made public or private. For sensitive information, Slack allows users to create private channels and invite exclusive members to participate. Any team member can access a public channel, while only select members can access private channels.

Slack introduced Threads in January 2017. With Threads, users can branch off and take their discussions outside of the main channel without opening a brand new channel or Direct Message. Threaded conversations connect related messages and are meant to help manage the various topics being talked about in Slack.

Direct Messages

Direct messages allow for one-on-one or small group communication away from main channels. They are meant for more focused conversations. Direct messages' content, as well as the files shared, are searchable through Slack's Search function.

Calls

Slack's video calling feature Source

Using Slack’s Windows or Mac desktop application, users can make voice calls with anyone on their Slack team. Anyone can make one-on-one calls, while only paid Slack users and teams can make group calls.

Released in December 2016, Slack Video Calls allow users to talk to one another face-to-face from anywhere in the world. The calls can be made to be between two individuals or larger groups. Anyone on a user’s Slack team can call people directly.

Both Slack Voice and Video Calls do not need the installation of separate applications. When preferred, Voice and Video Calls can still be made using third-party services like Google Hangouts and Skype. Both types of calls have emoji response features, allowing participants to express an emotion about the conversation without interrupting the speaker.

Search

Slack allows all of its content to be searchable- people, channels, files, and messages. When typing into the search bar, Slack will automatically give the user suggestions to help narrow the results. Slack's search modifiers give the option to filter searches and browse by type.

Bots

Slack has a built-in robot called Slackbot. Slackbot is an automated, full-time assistant, accessible by every Slack user. Slackbot can keep notes as well as manage private files. Users can ask Slackbot questions to help them learn about the application. Located in the Direct Messages part of Slack, Slackbot is meant to keep users organized and on top of their work.

Users can customize Slackbot to respond to them in certain ways by creating personalized commands. Defining a trigger word or phrase will automatically elicit a custom response from Slackbot. Configuring Slackbot Responses can make Slackbot respond to messages from team members in public channels.

Slack users can install a variety of other bots to help them with a range of tasks from checklist management to team motivation. Slack invests in these bot startups regularly and has a current total of 200 bots for users to install. Some examples of these bots include:

• Statsbot: a personal analytics assistant powered by AI that gives users data insights. Stats bot can connect to a variety of platforms such as Salesforce, Google Analytics, and Mixpanel.
• Guru: creates a searchable knowledge base for a team based on their conversations on Slack.
• Howdy: automates repetitive tasks so teams can save time and focus on their real work.
• Tatsu: allows teams to perform standup meetings from remote locations. Questions and responses are saved and reported back through the bot or Tatsu application.
• Donut: a team-building bot that pairs team members up to get coffee on a regular basis.

Security

Slack regularly releases updated versions of their security practices to users. The updates outline the measures taken by Slack’s security team to ensure that customer data is protected and work environments are secure.

The product security team at Slack uses both manual and automated analyses to ensure that every aspect of the software is free of security defects. Their efforts are supported by a public bug bounty program, which allows the team to engage the wider security research community with our product security efforts. The team also performs regular scans, penetration tests, and third-party audits, meant to show customers exactly what Slack does to keep their work environment safe.

Screenshot of Slack's Securitybot at work Source

Slack’s security bot, SecurityBot, is a toolkit for distributing security alerts to users. When triggered, the bot notifies the user that caused it. SecurityBot provides context for the user, so they can proceed by acknowledging the flagged action. More serious concerns that could potentially indicate an insider threat are reported straight to Slack’s security team for review.

In March of 2015, Slack announced that they were hacked for a four-day period in February. The hackers got a hold of the application’s central user database and stole email addresses, usernames, passwords, and user profile information like phone numbers and Skype IDs. It was reported that no financial information was exposed. Slack responded to the hack by introducing two new security features: two-factor authentication and a team-wide password kill switch.