Google Introduces AI-based Enhancements to Enhance Data Protection for Workspace Users

Google has recently been prioritizing security measures, as evidenced by its numerous interventions. After implementing a significant safety feature for Gmail, the company is now turning its attention to enhancing data security for users of other Workspace products like Drive. In a recent announcement, Google emphasized its adoption of a zero trust model for its Cloud services, which involves strengthening data storage, interaction, and integration within the system. To achieve this, Google will harness the power of its AI capabilities.

In a blog post, Google stated, “The work in security is never done, which is why we’re unveiling new zero-trust, digital sovereignty, and anti-threat solutions powered by Google AI to help organizations keep their data safe.” Artificial intelligence now automates some of the sensitive tasks in Gmail, Drive and other Google products to stay ahead of security threats.

Google highlighted the need for these improvements, noting that cybersecurity attacks will increase 38 percent in 2022, with each data breach costing an organization an average of $4.5 million, citing data from reports by Check Point and IBM.

Google brings AI-based features to improve Workspace security

For this, Google has decided to improve its zero-trust model. For the uninitiated, the company defines this model as “a cloud security model designed to secure modern organizations by removing implicit trust and enforcing strict identity authentication and authorization.” With zero trust, every user, device, and component is always considered untrustworthy, regardless of whether they are inside or outside the organization’s network.”

These features are provided to the IT and security teams of organizations using Workspace, giving them more granular control over data usage and access,

Some of these AI-powered zero-trust features include:

• Google uses artificial intelligence to automatically and continuously categorize and tag data in Google Drive to ensure that data is shared appropriately and protected from filtering.
• It adds DLP controls to Drive that allow Workspace administrators to set criteria, such as device location or security status, that must be met before a user can share sensitive content in Drive.
• It’s also extending these DLP controls to Gmail, available in preview later this year.

It should be noted that DLP features already exist in Google Chat, Drive and Chrome. These capabilities are critical to helping security teams manage the sensitive data that flows in and out of the organization.

In addition, Google has also announced new digital self-determination rights, which are as follows:

• Preventing third party access to sensitive information.
• By choosing to co-locate the organization’s encryption keys with a trusted partner in the country of their choice to simplify installation and support local regulatory compliance.
• Selection of data storage and processing location. Organizations also have the option to store a copy of their Workspace data in a country of their choice.
• Ensuring access to regional support staff for troubleshooting purposes.
• Making 2-Step Verification (2SV) mandatory for certain enterprise administrators.
• Requires multi-party approval for sensitive admin accounts.
• Protects other sensitive functions in Gmail.
• Export logs to Chronicle in a few clicks.
• Google said these features will be available for preview later this year.