Google takes security seriously, with data centers protected by six different layers of physical and digital security. Its products are also built from the ground up using a security-by-design approach. But, when it comes to securing their Google Workspace environment, IT admins can’t just ‘set it and forget it.’
Staying on top of the latest security threats, regularly conducting security audits, and having a procedure in place for remediation are important in identifying and mitigating critical security risks within Google Workspace — or any other platform in your organization.
But managing security risks requires constant vigilance — and your security settings will change over time as new users and new data are added into your IT environment. Also, every organization faces unique challenges and requires customization of its security settings and permissions.
Here are some common vulnerabilities and how you can implement effective security measures to strengthen your data protection, prevent breaches, and ensure a secure cloud environment.
Top Google Workspace Security Risks
1. Social engineering attacks
Google Workspace uses identities and credentials so users can securely access enterprise data. That’s also why stealing identities and credentials has become a top attack vector for cybercriminals.
Attacks using authentic credentials, including credential stuffing and buying credentials, were responsible for 37 percent of data breaches in 2024, according to Verizon’s 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report.
Phishing and its variants — like vishing, smishing, and spear-phishing — use social engineering techniques to trick users into giving away their credentials, such as usernames and passwords, sometimes on spoofed website login pages. And that gives cybercriminals easy — and legitimate — access to your corporate network.
What can you do about it? Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), so users are required to provide at least one additional form of authentication besides a password. You can also require users to provide stronger passwords and change them on a regular basis.
2. Unnecessary permissions in third-party apps
Google Workspace is a collaborative environment, but it can become a problem when users install third-party apps into your Google Workspace environment and give them unnecessary permissions.
In some cases, the user may need certain permissions for the app to function properly. But in other cases, it may ask for blanket permissions for the sake of convenience that — while they may not be malicious — could open up your organization to risk. For example, a third-party app may request permission to see and download all your Google Drive files.
At the same time, there are malicious apps out there, which can result in data loss or corruption.
What can you do about it? Only allow verified apps to access your IT environment and regularly review permissions requested by third-party apps. You can revoke permissions if they’re no longer needed or if those permissions seem unnecessary or excessive. You may also want to control app installation on any company-owned devices.
3. Misconfigurations
While misconfigurations may sound like a rookie mistake, the reality is that it takes a certain level of expertise to understand all of Google Workspace’s security settings and how they should be configured. After all, if those configurations are too restrictive, you’ll have pushback from users.
It also requires IT admins to stay on top of any changes or updates to user access controls, security protocols, and data handling policies. But not every IT admin is an expert in Google Workspace or in security, so it’s relatively easy for misconfigurations to occur.
However, a simple misconfiguration can leave the door wide open for cybercriminals, potentially exposing usernames and credentials.
What can you do about it? Don’t rely on the default security settings in Google Workspace. Configure those settings to match the risk — particularly if you’re in an industry subject to regulations, like finance or healthcare. Set up alerts to notify you of any potential issues and have a process in place to immediately remediate any misconfigurations.
4. Relying too much on DLP
Setting up Google Workspace Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is a smart move, allowing you to create and apply rules to content that users share outside the organization. But you’re not 100 percent protected from data loss when it comes to unstructured data.
For example, Google doesn’t necessarily check comments in Docs, Sheets, and Slides or in audio and video files. That means, if you have sensitive unstructured data, DLP may not know it exists or protect it accordingly. That could lead to data exposure, whether it’s caused by human error or an external attack.
What you can do about it: In addition to DLP, implement access controls so only authorized users can access sensitive data. You can also apply security rules via Google’s AI-powered tools that automatically classify data based on sensitivity. While data in Google Workspace is encrypted in transit and at rest, you might also want to consider using client-side encryption (CSE) for another layer of encryption.
Keeping up with security
While security risks are evolving, many of them are preventable. But getting the most out of your cloud computing environment often requires a partner by your side — especially for keeping up with the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape.
With Pythian’s Security Posture Analysis for Google Workspace, your organization will gain a better understanding of your risk exposures, so you can take the measures to protect your users and secure company data. Our Security Posture Analysis is based on our team’s collective 75+ years of experience in deploying and managing Google Workspace.
Want to find out more about protecting your Google Workspace environment from security risks? Find out more about how we can help.
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