Google announced new features of the Google Cloud Platform andG Suite designed to improve the security of its clients’ online assets. The company debuted new additions to its offerings during the latest iteration of the Google Cloud Next conference, after which they were summarized by Urs Hlzle, Senior Vice President of Technical Infrastructure at Google Cloud. In a blog post published on Thursday,Hlzle listed several major security features of the Google Cloud Platform and G Suite, some of which are still in beta.
One of them is the Data Loss Prevention application programming interface (API) that provides users with a simple and intuitive way of scanning for potentially sensitive data types like credit card numbers and names with the goal of redacting them. The Google Cloud Platform API supports both Drive and Gmail,Hlzle said, and the GIF in the gallery below demonstrates the functionality in action. Another new feature of Google’s system is the Identity-Aware Proxy that replaces the standard granular access management of VPN with a risk-based system which allows for a higher degree of security regardless of the location from which users are accessing the Google Cloud Platform. Just like the Data Loss Prevention API, Identity-Aware Proxy is still in beta.
Furthermore,Hlzle announced the Key Management System for Google’s platform that was designed to manage symmetric encryption keys intended for cloud-based use. The solution works without a physical key management system or a security module and is reportedly extremely simple to use. On a related note, G Suite was also updated with the Security Key Enforcement system utilizing two-step verification. Portions of the G Suite are now also supported by Google Vault, an eDiscovery system that supports retention policies and features a robust search system. Finally, Google also debuted Titan, a chip designed for hardware authentication of users developed to function as a part of the company’s layered security architecture. All of these new additions are yet another step in the company’splan to put a larger focus on its cloud-based offerings that are gradually becoming a part of Google’s core business. This strategy was also highlightedby Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai who recently said how Google Cloud isincredibly important to the company’s future plans.