Google Workspace Security: A Guide To Help Enhance Privacy

As more data becomes digitized, businesses and individuals are becoming increasingly concerned about maintaining data security.

Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) offers a range of security features to help protect user data. From encryption solutions to advanced protection programs, Workspace has implemented measures to ensure user information stays safe.

Let's take a look at the key security features of Workspace and how to follow best practices.

An Overview of Google Workspace's Security Measures

Google Workspace is built on a secure infrastructure with multiple layers of protection, including physical security in data centers, access control measures, and continuous monitoring.

Some of the key security measures provided by Google Workspace include:

• Secure by design infrastructure
• Compliance with privacy regulations
• End-to-end encryption of data
• Two-factor authentication (2FA) options
• Advanced protection for administrators
• Transparent and customizable data controls

By adopting Google Workspace for your organization, you are leveraging the experience and expertise of Google in protecting your critical data.

Key Features of Google Workspace Security

Many features contribute to the robust security capabilities of Workspace. Let's take a look at the main components.

Encryption Solutions for Data Storage

Google Workspace ensures that your data is well-protected through encryption. It utilizes encryption in transit and at rest, adding an extra layer of security so your data is unreadable if intercepted. When you use Google Workspace, your data is encrypted:

• At Rest: Data stored on hard disks and other storage media is encrypted.
• In Transit: Data moving between your devices and Google servers or between Google data centers is encrypted using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS).

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for User Accounts

One critical aspect of data security is ensuring that only authorized individuals can access your organization's Google Workspace account.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is an effective security measure that requires users to provide two forms of identity verification before they are granted access.

By enabling 2FA, you significantly reduce the chances of unauthorized access to your account, even if a user's password is compromised.

Advanced Protection Program (APP) for Administrators

Another layer of security offered by Workspace is the Advanced Protection Program (APP). This specialized security program is designed for administrators and provides advanced security features to protect the organization's sensitive data.

Some of the key features of APP include:

• Enhanced Phishing Protection: APP scans incoming emails for potential threats and automatically flags suspicious messages.
• Defending Against Malicious Apps: APP allows administrators to control which third-party apps can access Google Workspace data.
• Advanced Account Recovery: If an admin account is compromised, APP offers a more secure process that verifies the account owner's identity and ensures a faster recovery.
• Access to Security Key Enforcement: Security keys provide an additional layer of secure two-factor authentication, ensuring that only the authorized user can access their account.

Incorporating the Advanced Protection Program into your organization's Google Workspace implementation can significantly enhance your security posture and protect your data from potential breaches.

Google's Physical Security Measures

While we think of Workspace as a cloud-based system, there are physical data centers needed to store information.

Google's data centers are protected with several layers of security, including perimeter defense systems, comprehensive camera coverage, biometric authentication, and 24/7 guard staff.

Google also has local and regional security operations centers covering the entire data center fleet. These SOCs monitor and respond to all alarms and constantly track local and global events that may impact data center operations.

Along with routine testing, these teams run a robust enterprise risk management program to proactively mitigate risks at data centers.

Also, check out our blog that compares Google Workspace Security and Office 365.

Security Best Practices for Google Workspace Users

As an administrator, there are certain practices and standards you can enforce to ensure your team follows security best practices.

Creating & Maintaining Strong Passwords

Strong passwords are the foundation of robust account security. A weak password can be easily cracked, allowing criminals to gain unauthorized access to your Workspace data.

Follow these guidelines for creating a robust password for your account:

• Use a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters.
• Avoid using common words, phrases, or patterns.
• Create a long password (at least 12 characters).
• Don’t reuse passwords across multiple accounts.
• Update your password periodically.

In addition to implementing secure passwords, consider activating two-factor authentication (2FA) for added protection. With 2FA enabled users must provide an additional verification method, such as a fingerprint or SMS code, to access their account.

Managing Sharing Permissions for Sensitive Documents

Google Workspace enables seamless collaboration by allowing users to share documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. However, failure to manage sharing permissions properly can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Follow these tips to ensure sensitive documents remain secure:

• Only grant access to those who need it.
• Use role-based permissions (e.g., "Viewer," "Editor," or "Owner").
• Regularly review and update sharing permissions.
• Restrict sharing settings to specific individuals or domains.
• Disable link sharing for sensitive documents.
• Consider encrypting extremely sensitive files before sharing.

Regularly Monitoring User Activity and Access

Monitoring user activity can help identify potential security threats and unauthorized access to your Google Workspace account. Regular user activity audits can help ensure that only authorized individuals have access and that their activity aligns with their job responsibilities.

Tips for monitoring user activity include:

• Use Google Workspace’s built-in audit logs to review user activities.
• Implement role-based access controls to limit user permissions.
• Monitor account login attempts and investigate any suspicious activity.
• Conduct regular audits of active user accounts and disable unused or compromised accounts promptly.

One of the most valuable tools admins can use is Workspace's reports. The reporting section of the Admin console includes a range of reports about user activity, organization-wide data, and more.

Here are the reports you can access via the Admin console:

• Highlights Reports: These provide an overview of trends and metrics in your organization. This includes your team's use of Workspace services, document visibility for Drive files, storage space, and basic security metrics.
• Organization-Wide Apps Reports: This report contains charts and graphs displaying information about all users and admins in your domains.
• User Reports (Accounts): This report highlights security and app usage activity information, which you can use with Workspace's audit logs.
• User Reports (Apps usage): This report gives you more information about your organization's Gmail and Drive usage. This includes information like types of email activity, number of documents created and shared, and how much Drive storage each member is using.
• User Reports (Security): This report lets you assess your domain's overall exposure to data breaches and lets you see if your team is using 2-Step verification, who's installing third-party apps on their mobile devices, and more.
• Audit and Investigation: This report provides information about specific events like administrator activity and mobile activity.

Third-Party Integrations and Partnerships for Enhanced Security

Many organizations may require additional security measures beyond what Google Workspace provides. In these cases, third-party integrations and partnerships can help to enhance security further.

Google Workspace Marketplace & Security Integrations

The Google Workspace Marketplace is a platform through which developers can offer their applications and integrations to Google Workspace users. Many security-focused applications are available in the marketplace and can provide additional security features.

Examples of popular security integrations include:

• Single sign-on (SSO) solutions like Okta or OneLogin
• Data loss prevention (DLP) tools like GAT Shield or Spinbackup
• Advanced email protection apps, like Avanan or Mimecast

Vetting Process for Third-Party Developers

It is important to vet all third-party developers before integrating their applications into your Google Workspace environment.

The vetting process is crucial to ensure that the third-party app developers are adhering to industry-standard security measures and can be trusted with access to your Google Workspace data.

When vetting a third-party developer, consider the following:

• Review their credentials and industry certifications.
• Assess their reputation and reviews from other users.
• Inquire about their data security policies and compliance with relevant regulations.
• Ask for references and case studies to evaluate security and reliability.

To ensure you protect your team and data as much as possible, consider asking questions like:

1. What data does the developer need access to?
2. Where is the data stored by them, and for how long?
3. What third parties do they work with?
4. Can they provide details about their internal security practices?
5. What happens to shared data upon termination of the contract?

The more you understand a third-party developer's security practices and systems, the more transparency you'll gain when entering a partnership.

Google Workspace Incident Response and Disaster Recovery

Incident Response

In the case of a data breach or accidental security risk, the Workspace team moves quickly to address the issue.

Google's incident response program is managed by teams of expert incident responders to ensure a well-tailored solution.

For example, Google incident commanders may first address the nature of the issue while the digital forensics team detects ongoing attacks and performs investigations. At the same time, the legal team may be working to implement Google's strategy for evidence collection.

As an admin, you can control which security and incident alerts you receive, whether you want to be notified about suspicious logins or app outage issues. To learn more about setting admin security notifications, click here.

Disaster Recovery

Workspace maintains backups of primary data for disaster recovery and business continuity. Primary data includes data for core services: Calendar, Drive, Forms, Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Chat, Keep, Meet, New Sites, and Vault. Note that Google's disaster recovery varies by region.

To learn more about what primary data is backed up for you, click here.

Enhance Your Workspace Subscription with Promevo

If you want to accelerate your Google journey and get the most out of Workspace, Promevo can help. Promevo is a certified Google partner specializing in Workspace management, Google Cloud services, ChromeOS devices, and more.

In addition to providing end-to-end support with your Workspace pain points, Promevo also has our own exclusive Workspace management software, gPanel®.

With gPanel®, admins can take security to the next level by centralizing user management, gaining deeper visibility through logs and audits, and instantly managing permissions.

If you're ready to get more from your Google journey and harness the power of complete security, learn more about gPanel® and contact Promevo today.

FAQs: Google Workspace Security

Is Google Workspace safe for businesses?

Yes, Google Workspace is designed to be secure and is an excellent choice for businesses of all sizes.

Google takes security seriously and offers a variety of features to protect data, such as data loss prevention, security key management, and Google Vault for data archiving, among others.

In addition, Workspace undergoes regular security audits, ensuring that it complies with industry standards and best practices.

What security certifications does Google Workspace have?

Google has obtained several security certifications to demonstrate its commitment to keeping your data safe. These certifications include:

• ISO 27001: An internationally recognized certification for information security management systems.
• ISO 27017: A cloud-specific information security management certification.
• ISO 27018: A certification that protects personally identifiable information in the cloud.
• GDPR compliance: Google Workspace fully complies with the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation.

Does Google Workspace have security?

Yes, Google Workspace has a variety of security features to help keep your data safe. This includes encryption of data in transit and at rest, anti-malware scanning, phishing protections, password protections, and more.

What security does Google Workspace use?

Some of the key security measures Google uses for Workspace include:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest using TLS and AES 256-bit encryption. This helps prevent unauthorized access.
• Anti-malware scanning and sandboxing of attachments to block malicious files.
• Automatic blocking of emails identified as phishing attempts.
• Two-step verification for additional login security.
• Role-based access controls to limit employee access.
• Security monitoring to detect suspicious activity.

How secure is Google Workspace for business?

Google Workspace provides enterprise-grade security suitable for businesses. Features like encryption, anti-phishing, endpoint management controls, and security monitoring help secure business data stored and accessed in Workspace. Google also has certifications like ISO 27001 that validate its security practices.

How secure is Google Drive?

Google Drive data is encrypted at rest and in transit by default, protecting files even if accessed from outside Workspace. Access permissions, sharing controls, and Drive security scans also help keep Drive secure. For businesses, Drive security can be enhanced with endpoint management, access logs, retention policies, and legal/compliance holds.