Earlier this week, Google announced some crucial enhancements to Google Drive which are changing the game for data security and user privacy – as well as the fact that it just passed one million active users. Google has now introduced new data retention and legal hold capabilities, along with an additional ISO certification to bolster Google Drive cloud storage security capabilities. What do the latest updates mean for G Suite current and prospective customers?
According to Scott Johnson, Director of Product Management for Google Drive, “Today businesses rely on the cloud to make their work more accessible and collaborative than ever, and they also want it to be more secure. We’re committed to making Google Drive the safest place for all of your work.” With security being a top priority for CIOs and IT Directors, Google has rolled out multiple security updates over the past year, such as:
- Information Rights Management (IRM)
- Custom audit alerts
- New sharing controls
- Password Alert
- New password recovery options
- Whitelisted Domain sharing
- Security Key
Last week, Google also released the following updates:
eDiscovery
New eDiscovery capabilities are powered by Google Apps Vault, which is extending its retention policies and legal hold capabilities to cover files in Google Drive. These capabilities, which are currently available just for email and chat, will allow organizations to meet legal obligations and access archived employee files as long as needed, even if those files have been deleted and trash has been emptied.
Privacy
Adding to Google Drive’s SOC2 / SOC3 audits and ISO 27001 certification, which define some of the highest transparency and accountability standards in the industry, Google is also adding the new ISO/IEC 27018 privacy standard to its compliance framework. What does this mean for current customers? Essentially, this new standard validates Google’s privacy practices for commitments like the following:
- We do not use your data for advertising
- The data that you entrust with us remains yours
- We provide you with tools to delete and export your data
- We protect your information from third-party requests
- We are transparent about where your data is stored
These certifications cover a broad range of Google products and services, including Google Drive, Hangouts, admin console, Vault, Sites, Classroom and more.
Mobility
With the Google Drive mobile application quickly rising on ComScore’s list of top 25 mobile apps, from 25 to 16 since January of this year, Google has also improved its Mobile Device Management (MDM) for business customers. Admins can now monitor device usage, enforce strong passwords and enable device encryption. If a device is lost or an employee leaves the company, admins can remotely wipe all corporate data while leaving personal data untouched.
SADA Systems is a Google Cloud Premier Partner focused on creating tools, methodologies, change management and business transformation strategies for the cloud. To learn more about Google Cloud security click below to view Google’s Security Audits and Certifications Page. Questions? Email us at [email protected].
