As a small or midsize business’s first security hire, you often find yourself wearing multiple hats, including CISO, SOC, and IT Help Desk. Handling security responsibilities can be overwhelming, especially when the tools meant to help end up creating more work. This dilemma leads security teams to choose between letting things slip or becoming overly restrictive as the “Department of No.”
If you’ve inherited your company’s Google Workspace, you’re in luck as Google takes care of infrastructure, uptime, and spam filtering. However, operationalizing all of Google’s security capabilities can be challenging without significant engineering work. Securing the perimeter in a cloud-native environment where traditional boundaries no longer exist is crucial.
Starting with identity as the first line of defense is essential in today’s security landscape. Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA), context-aware access policies, and minimizing admin access are key steps to enhance security. Weak identity controls can easily allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to systems.
Email remains a primary asset and liability in organizations, with phishing and social engineering attacks being prevalent. Enabling enhanced Gmail protections, configuring SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and monitoring forwarding rules are crucial for mitigating email-based threats. Establishing robust controls around email security is essential to prevent data breaches.
Data loss is a gradual and silent threat that can have a significant impact on an organization’s security posture. Using labels to classify and control sensitive data, restricting external sharing, and leveraging default Google DLP rules can help prevent data loss incidents. Maintaining visibility and control over sensitive data across various channels is vital for effective data loss prevention.
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