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Key takeaways

• Proton Workspace is billed as a 'private alternative' to Google and Microsoft productivity suites.
• Proton Meet, an encrypted video conferencing platform, also debuts.
• Is Proton's encrypted approach to productivity enough to protect your business?

Proton, the organization behind the popular Proton VPN service, is carving a foothold in the productivity arena with the launch of Proton Workspace, available today.

Proton, based in Switzerland and subject to the country's strict privacy and data protection laws, calls its new offering a "private alternative to Google Workspace and Microsoft 365."

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In the last few years, perhaps in response to an oversaturated market, many VPN providers -- including Nord, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN -- began diversifying and rebranding themselves as organizations offering security solutions to businesses and consumers, with VPNs included in the package. 

Everything Proton Workspace includes

Proton, best known for its secure email and VPN services, has joined this trend by branching out into secure file storage, credential management, and authentication. Now the company is bringing everything under a single, consolidated umbrella. 

Proton Workspace is the result. It's branded as a private alternative for businesses that don't want their audio, video, and chat data logged or used to train AI. "Companies are increasingly worried that their confidential business data is becoming business intelligence for Big Tech and turning to safer alternatives," according to Proton CEO Andy Yen.    

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"We're hearing more from customers, particularly those wary of Big Tech's data practices, that they want a secure, bundled alternative that matches the ease of migration and integration of Google or Microsoft, but without the privacy trade-offs," Yen added. 

Available March 31, Proton Workspace includes any or all of the following Proton products, depending on the plan you choose.

• Proton VPN
• Proton Mail
• Proton Sheets
• Proton Calendar
• Proton Docs
• Proton Drive
• Proton Pass
• Lumo AI

Meet for video conferencing

Workspace also includes another newly announced app, Proton Meet , an alternative to video conferencing tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams. According to the company, Proton Meet is end-to-end encrypted, secured with Messaging Layer Security (MLS), and integrates with Proton, Google, and Microsoft calendars. 

Like rival services, you can generate a meeting link for participants, and you don't need a Proton account to join a video call. This service is available online, on desktop Windows, Mac, and Linux, and via Android and iOS apps. Meetings can be set up for free with up to 50 participants, as long as they don't exceed 60 minutes. 

Security considerations for the modern business

There is concern that companies, including Microsoft, Google, Meta, and others, are harnessing user data to train AI models. Without end-to-end encryption, some business software suites and platforms, including video conferencing tools, could be subject to surveillance or lead to accidental leaks of confidential data.

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We are well beyond the days of Zoom-bombing, but can encrypted services really benefit businesses today?

Who could benefit?

Whether you are a consumer or a business owner, encryption is a valuable tool for protecting information. When it is used in messaging apps, email, and video conferencing, encryption protects your communication by making it more difficult for data to be stolen in transit or for your online activities to be monitored. 

End-to-end encrypted apps and software are popular among individuals involved in civil rights and political action, as well as journalists and others who may be at greater risk of surveillance due to their jobs or activities. While I recommend adopting encrypted communication tools and a secure browser by default to improve your online privacy, I can see a privacy-focused productivity suite appealing to organizations in these industries. 

What encryption won't protect against

Encryption is highly useful, but it isn't a one-and-done security solution for businesses -- it's a valuable addition to a multi-layered security approach. 

Encryption will not protect your organization from accidental data leaks, malicious insiders, user error, social engineering attacks, or phishing, whether it is run-of-the-mill spam or sophisticated business email compromise scams. 

Proton is one of many companies developing their own security ecosystems to compete with tech giants such as Microsoft and Google. However, these companies understand that to give your business the best chance of mitigating cybersecurity risks, you need more than one layer of defense. 

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For example, employees should be trained to spot and avoid cybersecurity threats; endpoint devices must be locked down and secured; credentials should be rotated and managed by secure credential managers; and corporate networks should operate under zero-trust principles -- and all of this needs to be mapped out in a security policy. 

Simply signing up for a security service and hoping for the best isn't enough; security needs to be considered from the outset. Unfortunately, it's now a matter of when, not if, a breach occurs, but adopting modern security principles and tools can make all the difference. 

Should you make the switch?

Making the switch to new business products often involves pain, including the migration process, employee training, and onboarding. While tech giants can, sometimes, implement practices that aren't wholeheartedly supported by their client bases -- such as using personal data for AI training -- convenience and familiarity are often the reasons we don't switch to safer, more secure alternatives. 

Also: You're being tracked online - 9 easy ways to stop the surveillance

However, for organizations involved in high-risk activities or those that need greater privacy than most, such as activists, legal firms, and researchers, the move to encrypted services makes sense. Keep in mind, however, that if your business relies on third-party digital solutions, you should check for compatibility before taking the plunge with any new provider.

has reached out to Proton with additional queries, and we will update if we hear back. 

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