Does your organization use Google Workspace? If, like many other businesses around the world, your brand relies on Google Workspace, you may be wondering how to keep sensitive data as secure as possible.
That’s where we come in to help. We’re here to teach you about drive data loss prevention (DLP) for Google Workspace. Please keep reading to learn more about the system and how it can protect your data, saving your organization from potentially losing or having data stolen.
What Is Google Drive Data Loss Prevention (DLP)?
Google Drive Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is otherwise known as Data Leakage Prevention. Google Drive Data Loss Prevention is a system established to detect and monitor data breaches. It also works to stop unauthorized transfers of data from your company or organization’s Google Drive accounts.
After all, many businesses store sensitive data on Google Drive. Some examples of sensitive information may include:
- Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
- Credit card numbers
- Patient health data
- Intellectual property
- Financial statements
Due to the nature of these files, it’s important that they’re safe and secure. In data leakage circumstances, files may be revealed externally by mistake or on purpose with malicious intent. That’s why it’s essential for companies to educate their staff members on the consequences of the different sharing settings on Google Drive to stop data leakage.
It’s essential that users follow certain practices to keep data safe. This includes avoiding sharing files and links to files publicly and externally. They should also enable view-only access to files only when appropriate.
Finally, users should stop attaching actual files to emails using traditional attachment methods. If you stop using of traditional attachment methods via email and share a link to a file instead, this is safer. The link directs to a file securely and safely stored in your Google Drive, enabling you to have complete control over how the individual receiving the file can view it.
You can also lock access to the file whenever you like, even if you’ve already emailed the link out. Likewise, companies should restrict access to information to certain staff members by creating policies according to their roles in the business.
These practices make staff members in the organization more aware of the access they have to files and the sensitive nature of the files in their Google Drives.
Why Would You Use Google Drive Data Loss Prevention (DLP)?
So, why would one use DLP for Google workspace?
Putting it simply, protecting your organization’s confidential and sensitive data is essential. DLP supports this by providing you with control over what users can share. It also stops unintended exposure of sensitive data and information.
It’s possible to use DLP to prevent or warn users from sharing sensitive content and information, like confidential data and customer social security numbers.
As an admin, you can also use the system to receive alerts regarding policy violations and DLP incidents. You can also use it to investigate information on policy violations.
Monitor Your Google Drive
Mistakes can occur at any time. That’s why checking your Google Drive for sensitive information and potential data leaks is essential. Sadly Google’s Admin Console and Drive’s search capabilities don’t enable you to browse through the contents of your company’s Drive accounts to see the contents of each document.
But there are third-party DLP solutions on the market that make monitoring the domain’s drive and stopping breaches super simple. DLP solutions for cloud applications such as Google Drive can be either API-based or a Cloud-based proxy provider.
Cloud-Based Proxy
Cloud-based proxy providers manage and host network proxies for customers. They can direct the data flow coming from any cloud application using a secure proxy. This enables data access to that cloud application to be controlled and assessed.
Using a proxy as a ‘middle-man’ for third-party requests to connect with your information allows you to have all-inclusive visibility into the different forms of shared information.
The cons of cloud-based proxies are that if the provider’s servers go down, your company will lose access to documents and emails. Even if your company can direct the down proxy via an alternate path, any activity that happens during the downtime will not reach through the DLP system.
Netkiller’s Google Drive Security Scan Service
Our product, Netkiller’s Google Drive Security Scan Service, helps protect your Google Workspace files even further. While files and documents in Google Drive can be shared with permissions, there’s always some risk of security mistakes and incidents like sharing to the wrong person.
Our security scan service can stop security mistakes like this. It enables the admin to index the sharing settings and permissions of all files in the organization, upgraded by the Netkiller ISMS solution.
Use the service to discover the sharing status of all files and documents of staff members in the organization’s Google Drive and the security level of externally revealed content at a glance.
Improving Drive Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Strategies Even Further
There are always risks when it comes to sharing sensitive data. That’s why Google Workspace’s drive data loss prevention (DLP) system is so essential.
Using our Google Drive Full Scan Service, organizations using Google Workspace can view the sharing status of all documents and files of staff members in the brand’s Google Drive at a glance.
We have rebranded our DLP product into Netkiller ISMS, and we use an ISO-certified information security management system.
Learn more about our Google Drive Security Scan Service and add even more protection to your organization’s sensitive data. Or contact us today with any questions or queries, and we’ll be happy to help.