What’s changing
Because sharing ideas and information is at the heart of trusted collaboration, it’s critical that you have the ability to powerfully and precisely manage your files. That’s why we’re introducing a beta for trust rules for Google Drive. Trust rules is a new security feature which allows admins to set fine-grained rules defining whom their users can collaborate with in Drive, both within and outside of their organization.
Trust rules will replace the existing “Sharing options” in the Google Drive admin controls. Admins will be able to choose to allow, deny, or display warnings to end-users within specific organizational units (OUs) or groups when they attempt to:
- Share Drive files with external users or external domains
- Receive Drive files from external users or external domains
- Share Drive files with other OUs or groups within the organization
- Receive Drive files from other OUs or groups within the organization
Read our announcement blog post to learn more about this beta and our plans for Client-side encryption across Google Workspace. The beta for trust rules for Drive will be rolling out in the coming months and will be available for Google Workspace Enterprise Plus and Education Plus customers. Eligible customers can now apply for the beta here.
Who’s impacted
Admins and end users
Why you’d use it
Trust rules will help Admins to create more sophisticated and secure access policies which help ensure their data is shared with, and accessed by, desired parties. Some examples of how you could use Drive trust rules to better control collaboration include:
- Block your internal audit team from sharing files outside of their team.
- Warn your finance team when they share files with the sales team to help ensure that sharing is deliberate and thoughtful.
- Allow your legal team to share with a specific group of external counsels, but not allow them to share with users outside of that group.
- Prevent any users in your organization from receiving files from a specific external domain.
Getting started
- Admins: Learn more and apply for the beta here. The beta will start rolling out in the next few months, but once enabled, trust rules can be scoped at the domain, OU, or groups level with coverage of both My Drive and shared drives. If you are accepted into the beta program, you will get more documentation on the feature.
- End users: No end-user impact until their admin joins the beta and configures trust rule settings.
Rollout pace
- The beta will start rolling out in the next few months, but eligible customers can now apply for the beta here. You’ll get more details via email when the beta is available to use.
Availability
- Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus and Education Plus customers
- Not available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, Education Fundamentals, Frontline, and Nonprofits, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers.