PII Protection & Management for Google Admins: A Practical How-To Guide

 In today’s digital age, personal information has become a valuable commodity. The term PII, or personally identifiable information, refers to any data that can be used to identify a specific individual.  It includes everything from names, email addresses, social security numbers, passports, biometric data, and even medical records.

The consequences of a data breach can be severe, resulting in financial loss, reputational damage, and legal liability. Therefore, implementing robust data protection measures is essential.

In this guide, we are going to provide you with five valuable tips that will help you protect your PII effectively. 

Tip 1: Conduct a Comprehensive Audit of your Domain

A third-party tool like GAT+ can serve you as a virtual detective within the vast realm of your Google Workspace domain. It provides an extensive set of filters and powerful search capabilities, enabling you to uncover potential vulnerabilities and address incidents promptly. Whether you’re searching for specific file types, users, or folders, GAT+ empowers you to narrow down your investigation. It’s like having a finely tuned radar that hones in on potential risks to your PII. 

For example, let’s say an employee mistakenly shared a sensitive document with a client instead of keeping it within the company’s secure confines. With GAT+, you don’t have to panic. It swiftly detects those externally shared files, allowing you to take immediate action and rectify the situation. By promptly addressing such incidents, you can prevent potential data breaches that could compromise your valuable PII.

SEE: Admin, Are you Monitoring these Cloud Security Risks? To know more about cloud security risks and how to deal with them.

Tip 2: Strengthen Security with Actionable Insights

GAT+ goes beyond auditing capabilities and serves as your personal security advisor. It gives you a comprehensive overview of all the third-party applications lurking in your Google Workspace domain. It also reveals all the applications and presents the permissions required from the Application itself to your Google Workspace data.

 The beauty of GAT+ lies in its ability to provide you with a graded “Scope risk score” for each application. It evaluates the permissions required by these applications and assigns them a risk score based on their potential impact on your Google Workspace API. This valuable information enables you to assess the level of risk associated with each application. By doing so, you can take appropriate measures to protect your Personally Identifiable Information.

Think of it as a virtual bouncer checking IDs at the door. You can assess each application’s permission scope and decide if they deserve VIP access or if they should be shown the exit. With GAT+, you’re the ultimate gatekeeper of your PII kingdom.

Tip 3: Streamline Contacts Management

Efficiently managing contacts can be a daunting task, but with GAT Labs, it becomes effortless. GAT+ provides a centralized solution for auditing and making changes to users’ Google contacts.

You can effortlessly transfer or download contacts to specific users. It’s like a magical teleportation device for your contact list. Need to transfer contacts from leaver A to new joiner B? Consider it done in no time using GAT+.

Maintaining an up-to-date and organized contact list is essential for protecting your Personally Identifiable Information. By streamlining the contacts management process with GAT+, you can ensure that the right individuals have access to the necessary contact information, minimizing the risk of unauthorized access.

TIP: Do you want to copy contacts from one user (or multiple) to another user, group, or OU in a few simple steps? Make it happen with GAT Flow

Tip 4: Gain Insights into User Activity and Engagement

In a way,  GAT+ performs as your personal detective, skillfully analyzing collaboration patterns. It can help you generate reports on who’s working together like a well-oiled machine, and pinpointing any weak links that may compromise the security of your PII. With its valuable insights, you can stay one step ahead of potential threats. By doing so, you’ll ensure that your PII remains locked away from evildoers.

In addition, GAT+ provides accurate data and real information on collaboration. It allows you to assess the level of engagement across emails, Google Drive, Google Calendar, and chat. With this comprehensive view, you’ll have a complete picture of how your users interact within your Google Workspace environment.

And here’s the cherry on top – as a Google Admin, you can audit the entire domain at a very detailed level. Furthermore, this comprehensive view helps you spot any anomalies, such as unauthorized access or unusual data-sharing patterns. With this, you can take immediate action to protect your Personally Identifiable Information.

Tip 5: Stay Proactive with Automated Alerts

GAT Suite doesn’t sleep; it’s a vigilant guardian of your PII. By setting up automated alerts, you can stay one step ahead of potential threats and proactively protect your PII. Maybe you want to set up Google Drive DLP alerts for shared out files or for new installed applications in your domain. Whatever the case, think of GAT as having a 24/7 security guard that never takes a coffee break.

With GAT Suite’s alerting capabilities, you can customize and configure alerts for abnormal or suspicious activity related to your PII. Whether it’s an unexpected spike in file access, a sudden surge in email forwarding, or an unauthorized attempt to modify sensitive data, GAT Suite will promptly notify you.

We are tirelessly monitoring your Google Workspace environment for any signs of trouble. Additionally, if a potential data breach is detected, you’ll receive an alert. This will allow you to take swift action and mitigate the impact. It’s like having a trusty sidekick who always has your back, ensuring that your PII remains secure at all times.

Remember, in the world of data security, prevention is key. By leveraging the power of GAT Suite’s automated alerts, you can minimize threats and keep your PII safe from harm.

Conclusion: Safeguarding Your PII in Google Workspace

Protecting Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is paramount for you as a Google Admin. With GAT Labs’ powerful features, you can fortify your data security practices within the Google Workspace environment. 

Here are the 5 key takeaways to remember:

1. Conduct Comprehensive Auditing with GAT+: Uncover vulnerabilities and promptly address incidents, ensuring the security of your PII.
2. Strengthen Security with Actionable Insights: Assess permissions of third-party applications, acting as the gatekeeper of your PII kingdom.
3. Streamline Contacts Management: Effortlessly manage Google Contacts, ensuring smooth transitions and preserving PII confidentiality.
4. Gain Insights into User Activity and Engagement: Monitor collaboration patterns, identifying and addressing weak links to protect your PII.
5. Stay Proactive with Automated Alerts: Set up alerts to respond swiftly to potential threats, mitigating the impact on your PII.

Moreover, these measures will enable you to fortify data security, ensure compliance, and protect your organization’s sensitive information. Embrace the power of GAT Suite to proactively preserve the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your valuable PII inside your Google Workspace Domain.