Safety of G Suite data is the top priority for all users of this cloud service. There are many potential risks for data security that may result in the. In this article, we’ll take a look at the top G Suite security concerns and how to address them to protect your cloud data.
G Suite Cybersecurity Risks
The main G Suite security concerns are related to phishing, insider threats, ransomware, and malicious third-party apps. Phishing is extremely fast-growing. The number of phishing attacks went up 667% (!) since February. Other threats, however, are hardly less dangerous.
Phishing
Phishing is a type of cyber attack that involves various social engineering methods to steal valuable data. Phishing authors try to disguise attacks as harmless emails from online services, banks, colleagues, tech support, or any other entities that targeted user trusts.
A phishing email contains an infected link to a website with malicious code. Clicking it will infect not only a user’s account but, in some cases, other accounts of the same G Suite corporate network. Alternatively, a cybercriminal asks a user for sensitive information like, for example, credit card numbers or credentials.
Usually, phishing emails stand out by instilling a sense of urgency, unnatural language or images, suspicious links, and many other details. It should be noted that phishing emails greatly vary in form and execution. Some of them look like generic mailing. Yet some are carefully designed for a specific person, which is called spear phishing.
Phishing Protection
Phishing protection is based mainly on the attentiveness of a reader. That’s why all G Suite users should be careful. Here are some tips to detect a phishing email:
- Check the email address of a sender
- Watch out for the intimidating language and sense of urgency
- Pay attention to any link you click. Hover over the link and check if the domain name is spelled correctly. Avoid clicking URL shorteners unless you are 100% sure they lead to a safe website
- Avoid sharing sensitive information like PIN codes, bank account details, or credentials
- Avoid downloading files or images unless you’re sure that they are safe
Overall, being conscious of what links you click and what files you download is a great way to stay safe from phishing.
Malicious Apps and Extensions
Using third-party apps is common, but not everyone is aware that they can be a potential threat to a Google account. Sometimes, cyber criminals infect apps with malware. To activate the malicious code, such apps need access to users’ Google accounts. Therefore, they ask for permission to access mail, video, photos, and other data.
Unsuspecting users grant permissions and have their data stolen. An app can contain malicious code from the very beginning, or get it with an update. In a big organization, it’s extremely hard to trace all permissions, so a malicious app can easily hide among legitimate ones.
Hackers use Chrome extensions in the same way, as they are permitted to access G Suite data as well. Not all users are aware that it’s possible to get a virus by installing browser extensions, and hackers exploit it.
Malicious Apps and Extensions Protection
One of the most common practices to stop harmful apps and extensions from gaining access to important data is application whitelisting. Application whitelisting is a set of practices aimed at using only secure software to protect accounts in the network from potentially harmful software.
Also, you can try Google Apps for business security solutions that monitor data behavior and detect malicious apps and extensions. By tracking the data usage and detecting any abnormalities it’s possible to detect malicious apps that try to steal your cloud data.
Ransomware
Ransomware is a special type of malicious software that encrypts your data and makes it impossible to use. Criminals demand a ransom to restore access to your cloud data. The average ransom payment continues to rise, reaching $36,295 per attack. Attackers often pressure their victims to pay the ransom by threatening to delete or sell seized data.
However, ransomware is dangerous not only because of the sum demanded. Downtime costs can be extremely significant. Imagine the losses a big company will face if its systems are shut down for days or even weeks.
Ransomware can be spread using several methods, including malicious apps and phishing. Due to lateral movement techniques, ransomware can spread through the whole network even if only one account was hit initially.
Ransomware Protection
Ransomware protection becomes a serious challenge for SaaS users. The best anti-ransomware approach is to develop and implement a complex of protection measures. They include:
- Backing up your data
- Application whitelisting
- Conducting security awareness training
- Using ransomware protection tools
Some of these practices are similar to protection from phishing/malicious apps. And not without a reason. As mentioned above, ransomware is often spread with phishing emails or corrupted third-party applications.
Insider Threats
In some cases, G Suite data loss is related to careless or malicious actions from within an organization. The human factor of data loss may have various forms: accidental deletion of important files, installing corrupted Chrome extensions, incorrect migration from one account to another, and many others. Of course, sometimes an employee consciously steals confidential data.
No matter the exact form, insider threats may result in data loss or leakage. The consequences may be very severe, so insider threat protection is essential for a safe G Suite working environment.
Insider Threats Protection
There are many practices to protect your cloud data from insider threats. They include:
- Arranging a corrective employee exit process
- Performing data migration correctly
- Training your employees to spot potential phishing emails
- Avoid installing new apps or extensions unless they are confirmed to be secure
- Backing up employees’ data
- Set up and maintain strong password policies
- Set up device policies
- Implement access management practices
- Use anti-ransomware and risk assessments tools
These are just some of the measures that help you to protect your data from insider threats. After all, this is a complex issue that needs to be addressed by all G Suite users.
