Insight to Google Apps for Business Security Concerns & Protection

Nowadays, many people use cloud-driven platforms like Google Workspace because of how they help in productivity. However, when it comes to security, Google Apps for Business is also not immune. Therefore, in this article, I will explain the potential threats to Google Apps for business security concerns and provide tips to protect your data from these issues.

Google Apps for Business or Google Workspace is a cloud productivity tool to help individuals, professionals, and businesses improve communication and collaboration. Here, you will get all Google tools like Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drives, etc., with real-time collaboration. Nowadays, most companies rely on Google Apps to store and manage their data. This is because of cloud platforms, which are very popular because of their reliability and convenience. However, this same thing does not apply to the Google apps’ security.

Know the Steps to Secure G Suite Data after Employee Leaves the Organization

Learn About Google Apps for Business Security

The main audience of Google Workspace apps is companies that use the program daily. Whether the company is small or large, security is the number one priority. That’s why Google provides you with several built-in security features to safeguard your data. These are.

• Two-Factor Authentication provides an additional protection layer in your sign-in page.
• Admin Controls, where the administrators have control, where they manage user permissions, enforce security policies, and track the account activity.
• Encrypted your emails in both transit and at rest.
• Provide real-time security alerts and detailed reports for auditing.
• And compliance certifications like GDPR, HIPAA, and ISO 27001.

These features help you to strengthen your Google account and protect it from issues. But G Suite works on shared responsibility. It provides a secure infrastructure. The business has to manage, access, educate employees, and implement practices to prevent human error or insider threats.

Common Google Apps for Business Security Concerns

Many of us are still not aware of all possible threats to our G Suite data. Here’s the list of all the major threats that can ruin crucial business data and information.

1. Infectious Viruses and Malware
2. Data Breaching, Phishing, Spoofing Attempts
3. Hijacking of Data/ Account Service
4. Crypto Ransomware
5. Unauthorised Plug-ins
6. Man-in-the-cloud Attack

These are the major risks that should be addressed as quickly as possible. For this, I have tips that you can use.

Top G Suite Security Measures You Must Use

There are potential hackers in the online world whose motive is to get access to your sensitive information and take advantage of it. So, keeping in mind all the Google Apps for Business security concerns, it is better to add a security layer at the very initial step. In the next sections of the article, I will describe ways to secure your data and account.

Turn On Two-Step Authentication Settings

There is a functionality in G Suite known as Two-step verification. It is a security feature that works while you log in to your Google account. Admin needs to enable this setting for user accounts in Google Apps. So, whenever a user signs into a G Suite account, a security code will be received on the mobile device. And this code needs to be entered to open the account. This is the best way to prevent a hacker or a third-party user from logging in to your account.

1. To enable 2FA, log in to the Google Workspace account using administrator details.
2. In the Menu section, go to the Security option.
3. Click on the Authentication button and then the 2-step verification button.
4. Press the Allow users to turn on 2-Step Verification button.
5. Select the Enforcement settings and save the changes.

Password Security for Google Apps for Business

It is advised to make a strong password that cannot be cracked by any hacker. This is because many people create an easy password so that they can easily remember it instead of a complex one. This allows the other person to easily guess. So, while setting the Google Workspace password, make sure you follow these guidelines.

• The password should be long and not your name.
• It must contain a combination of upper-case and lower-case characters.
• Should have special characters like @, !, (), and so on.
• Make sure that you never use a similar password for two different accounts.

Also, ensure that the user changes the password regularly to keep your account secure.

Make Local Data Backup

Make sure you take a backup of your Google Workspace regularly. To ensure business continuity and also deal with Google Apps for Business security concerns in serious data loss scenarios. It is also better to use a professional tool for a secure and fast process. For this reason, SysTools G Suite Cloud Backup Software will be very helpful. A great utility that downloads a copy of your Google Apps data, like emails, Calendar, Contacts, and Documents, on your local machine. Plus, it exports your data in an Outlook data file and can easily take a backup of single or multiple G Suite accounts in one shot. Therefore, it is a great option to secure your Google Apps for Business data.

Download Now Purchase Now

Train Your Employees On Security Awareness

Well, there is no meaning of a strong security infrastructure when your employee is unable to detect the threat. So, provide proper training to the employees and educate them on how to analyze and protect themselves. Tell them how to analyze phishing emails and never open mail from an unknown source. Plus, educate them regarding new online threats.

Use OAuth to Secure Google Apps for Business

OAuth apps white-listing is a feature incorporated by Google in Google Apps. Its function is to protect the Organisation’s data from unauthorized & malicious applications. This feature gives the power to the admin to select and add trusted apps to the white list. With this, only the application that was added to the white list has access to the Google Apps account.

1. First, go to the Google Cloud Console and create a new project.
2. In the Google Cloud Console, click on API and Services, then OAuth consent.
3. Choose the Internal or External type of user and press the Create button.
4. Fill out the app registration form by providing app name, user support email, and contact information.
5. Go back to the cloud console and in API and services, click Library.
6. Find and enable API your application needs, like Gmail API, Drive API, etc.
7. In the API & Services, click on Credentials.
8. Press the new credentials and select the OAuth client ID.
9. Select the type of application for your project and hit the Create client ID.
10. Now, I am going to create a service account by going to API & services, then Credentials.
11. Hit the Create Credentials button and then Service Account.
12. Provide your service account with a name and choose the roles. Such as Project>Viewer.
13. Choose JSON as the key type and press the Create button.
14. Save the JSON file. Go to the Admin Console.
15. Select the Security, then Access and data control.
16. Click on API controls and choose Manage Domain-Wide Delegation.
17. Add the entry by clicking Add new button. Provide your service account Client ID.
18. Enter the OAuth scopes and press the Authorize.

Final Say!

Your G Suite account contains sensitive details, including documents, emails, bank statements, and much more. And the exposure of this data to a third person is the most dangerous thing. Therefore, in this article, I have discussed the top 5 Google Apps for Business security concerns, which help you to protect your data from threats.

Some Commonly Asked Queries

Q. How to protect Google Apps data from Unauthorized applications?

Ans. Through the OAuth Apps white-listing feature, user can protect their G Suite data from unauthorized access. This feature allows the admin user to add trusted applications to the white list. Only those applications can access the Google Apps account.

Q. Is it helpful to backup the G Suite account to protect my data?

Ans. Yes, taking the local backup of the Google Apps data is one of the best security options. This will help you to protect your data from unexpected loss or damage.

Q. How does the two-step authentication ensure the security of the account?

Ans. If the two-step verification is enabled in the account, users need to verify the account with the security code even after a successful login. Hence, even if the attacker gets the account credentials to access the account, they need the security code sent to the mobile.