Tag Archives: apps

Manage Windows 10 devices through the G Suite Admin console

What’s changing 

We’re enabling enhanced desktop security for Windows with a new beta. This will allow you to manage and secure Windows 10 devices through the Admin console, just as you do for Android, iOS, Chrome, and Jamboard devices today. It will also enable SSO so users can more easily access G Suite and other SSO-enabled applications on Windows 10 devices.

With these new controls G Suite admins can:

  • Enable their organization to use existing G Suite account credentials to login to Windows 10 devices, and easily access apps and services with SSO 
  • Protect user accounts with anti-phishing, anti-hijacking, and suspicious login detection technologies 
  • Ensure that all Windows 10 devices used to access G Suite are updated, secure, and within compliance 
  • Perform admin actions, such as wiping a device and pushing device configuration updates, to Windows 10 devices from the cloud without specific network requirements 

Sign up for the beta here.

Who’s impacted 

Admins

Why you’d use it 

Automatic device registration, the ability to secure all of your devices in a single Admin console, and cloud-based policy and device configuration deployment will simplify device management and security for your organization. Additionally, the ability to remotely wipe devices can help increase your organization’s data security.

Additionally, this makes life easier for users by reducing the hurdles and logins needed to access applications and get work done. Users need to log in just once to their Windows 10 device using their G Suite login credentials, and they’ll be able to access Google apps and any other enterprise cloud applications with SSO enabled without further logins.

How to get started 




Additional details 


Set policies, push configurations to devices, and wipe devices as needed 

Admins can deploy policies and device configuration updates from the cloud, removing any network or other restraints for installing these updates on user devices. Policies and updates that can be applied by admins include BitLocker, Windows Update, and desktop customization. Additionally, admins can block or wipe devices if needed from the device page in the Admin console.



Availability 

G Suite editions 

  • Available to G Suite Enterprise, G Suite Enterprise for Education, and Cloud Identity Premium customers 
  • Not available to G Suite Basic, G Suite Business, G Suite for Education, G Suite for Nonprofits, and Cloud Identity Free customers 

Beta sign up 
Find more information and sign up for the beta here.

Grant SAML app access to specific groups

Quick launch summary 

You can now enable SAML apps for specific groups of users in your organization. You could previously only enable them by organizational unit (OU). This provides extra flexibility, as you can now turn apps on or off for sets of users without changing your organizational structure.

SAML apps enable users to access enterprise cloud applications after signing in just once through Single-Sign-On (SSO). You can easily enable SAML with many pre-integrated applications in our third-party apps catalog, or you can set up custom SAML applications.

Use our Help Center to find out how to configure SAML applications.

Getting started 


  • Admins: This feature will be available by default and can be controlled at the group level. Visit the Help Center to learn more about how to configure SAML apps for G Suite. 
  • End users: There is no end-user setting for this feature. 

Control SAML apps by groups 

Rollout pace 


Availability 



  • Available to all G Suite customers

Use phones as security keys in the Advanced Protection Program


What’s changing 


You can now use your mobile phone as a security key in the Advanced Protection Program for the enterprise. This means you can use your Android or iOS device’s built-in security key for 2-Step Verification, which makes it easier and quicker to protect high-risk users with our strongest account security settings.

Users can learn more and sign up for the Advanced Protection Program at g.co/advancedprotection. 

Who’s impacted 

Admins and end users

Why you’d use it 


The Advanced Protection Program for the enterprise enforces a package of several security policies, which can help protect the accounts of employees who are most at risk for targeted attacks. By adding the option to use your phone as a security key with this program, we hope more G Suite users will be able to take advantage of the protection it offers due to:

  • Simpler enrollment - Users can sign up quickly using devices they already have. 
  • Intuitive user experience - Users are familiar with the phone interface, and often already carry phones with them. 
  • Lower costs - This reduces the need to purchase security keys. 


Additional details 

Targeted attacks describe sophisticated, low volume handcrafted attacks that are often carried out by highly motivated professional or government backed groups. Employees at risk of targeted attacks that may benefit from the program include, for example, IT admins, executives, and employees in regulated industries such as finance or government.

The individual policies currently included in the Advanced Protection Program are also available to G Suite admins and users outside of the program. However, the Advanced Protection Program for the enterprise offers an easy-to-use bundle of our strongest account security settings

Getting started 


Admins: By default, users will be able to sign up for the Advanced Protection Program. You can disable it at the OU level. Visit the Help Center to learn more about managing the Advanced Protection Program in your organization.

End users: Android users can go directly to g.co/advancedprotection to enroll their phone as a security key. iPhone users must first activate the security key with Google’s Smart Lock app, then enroll in the Advanced Protection Program.

Rollout pace 


  • This feature is available now for all users. 


Availability 


  • Available to all G Suite customers 


Resources 


Use an iPhone as a security key for 2-Step Verification

What’s changing

We’re adding an option to use your iPhone as a security key for your Google Account. Security keys provide the strongest form of 2-Step Verification (also known as two-factor authentication or 2FA) to help protect your account against phishing, and are an essential part of the Advanced Protection Program for the enterprise. To use your iPhone as a security key, you need to install the Google Smart Lock app.

Read more about this launch in our Security Blog post, or use our Help Center to learn more about security keys and 2-Step Verification. Also see our other announcement today - Use phones as security keys in the Advanced Protection Program.


Who’s impacted

Admins and end users


Why you’d use it

2-Step Verification adds another layer to your account security, making it more resistant to phishing and account takeover attacks. By adding the option to use iPhones as a security key, we’re making the strongest form of phishing protection more accessible and convenient. As a result, we hope you’ll be able to implement Advanced Protection in your organization more quickly, while also minimizing user training and overall costs.

We previously announced that you can use the security key built into your Android phone, in addition to physical security keys, including Google’s Titan Security Keys.

We also announced today that you can use phones as security keys in the Advanced Protection Program for the enterprise. We hope that these launches bring the added protection of security keys to more users, including making it easier to enrol in the Advanced Protection Program, and helps ensure that all users have access to more convenient forms of security.


Additional details


  • The iPhone security key is enabled through the Google Smart Lock app.
  • Installation of the Google Smart Lock app is only available on devices running iOS 10.0 and up.
  • The security keys on iPhones are compatible with Bluetooth-enabled Chrome OS (version 79 and up), iOS, macOS, or Windows 10 devices with a Chrome browser.


Getting started




Rollout pace

  • This feature is available now for all users

Availability


  • Available to all G Suite customers


Resources





Present to meetings using the HDMI cable on Hangouts Meet hardware

Quick launch summary

You can now present high-quality video content with audio in your meeting using the HDMI cable included with Hangouts Meet hardware kits.

Please note: Hangouts Meet already supported using this HDMI cable for local presentations. This additional functionality allows users to present into meetings with remote participants as well.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: This feature will be ON by default.

Rollout pace

Availability

  • Available to all G Suite customers

Resources

Roadmap



Password recovery for super admins and a new interface for security settings

What’s changing

We’re making it easier for super admins to recover their own passwords, as well as updating the look of some basic security settings in the Admin console.

Going forward, super admins who enable “Super admin account recovery” at Admin console > Security > Account recovery can recover their own accounts by clicking the “Forgot password?” link on the sign-in page (provided they’ve added recovery options to their accounts).

Super admin account recovery setting in the Admin console

In addition, we’re starting to gradually migrate your other security settings to a more streamlined, card-based interface. These changes will take place slowly over time, and most will have no impact on the configuration of your settings themselves. If any updates require changes to your workflows, we’ll let you know on the G Suite Updates blog and/or via email.

Who’s impacted

Admins

Why you’d use it

Previously, super admins in many organizations who were locked out of their accounts had to contact another super admin or Google Support to recover their password. This new setting makes it much easier for super admins to get back into their accounts and back to work.

Getting started

Admins: For most current and all new customers, the Super admin account recovery feature will be OFF by default and can be enabled at the domain, OU, or group level. If you’re an existing customer with fewer than three super admins or 500 users, however, the setting will be ON by default, to match previous behavior. Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning Super admin account recovery on or off for your organization.

Rollout pace


  • Rapid Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility)] starting on January 13, 2020
  • Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility)] starting on January 13, 2020

Availability


  • Available to all G Suite customers

Resources


More options for copying presentations in Google Slides

Quick launch summary 

When creating a copy of an existing Google Slides presentation, you'll now be able to:
  • Select specific slides to copy instead of the whole deck. 
  • Remove the speaker notes from the copy. 
This feature makes it easier to parse out and share the most relevant content with your team, audience, or other stakeholders.

Getting started 

End users: To remove speaker notes from a full-deck copy, go to File > Make a Copy > Entire Deck and check “Remove all speaker notes.”

Removing speaker notes from presentation copy



To copy only certain slides, go to File > Make a Copy > Selected Slides. There, you’ll also have the option to remove all speaker notes from the selected slides.

Select specific slides to copy instead of the whole deck

Rollout pace 



Availability 


  • Available to all G Suite customers

Break out a single value within a pie chart in Google Sheets

Quick launch summary 

You can now “pull out” and highlight a slice from a pie or donut chart in Google Sheets. This feature gives you more ways to control the look of your charts and better display the most important data in Sheets.


Getting started 

End users: This feature is available by default. Visit the Help Center article to learn more about using this feature.

Rollout pace


Availability 


  • Available to all G Suite customers 

Resources 


Manage Hangouts Meet and classic Hangouts video calls with one setting

What’s changing

Video calling from Hangouts Meet and classic Hangouts is now controlled by the same setting. This means that the setting in the Admin console that controls classic Hangouts video calling now also controls Hangouts Meet.

Who’s impacted

Admins

Why it matters

By combining these settings, we’re making it easier for you to manage all video calling within your organization.

Getting started

Admins: You can find the new, consolidated setting in the Admin console at Apps > G Suite > Settings for Google Hangouts > Meet settings. Learn more in the Help Center. The new setting will respect your previous setting. For new G Suite customers, video calling will be enabled by default.

End users: There is no end user setting for this feature.

Rollout pace



Availability


  • Available to all G Suite customers

Resources