Tag Archives: Google Drive

Add shared drives to specific organizational units

What’s changing 

For select Google Workspace editions, admins can now place shared drives into sub organizational units (OUs). Doing so enables admins to configure sharing policies, data regions, access management, and more at a granular level. 


This feature is available now as an open beta, which means you can use the feature without opting-in to a specific program. 


Who’s impacted 

Admins and end users 


Why it matters 

Currently, all shared drives reside in the “root” OU. As such, all shared drives are subject to the same policies. This update gives admins the option to move shared drives to sub OUs within their organizations, such as Marketing or Legal, which allows for more control over the privacy and security of the shared drive's contents on a case-by-case basis. For example, admins can restrict sharing of a shared drive belonging to the legal department because it contains highly confidential information. Additionally, this also gives admins more flexibility over applying default sub OUs to newly-created shared drives, assuring each new shared drive subject to appropriate security policies. 


With this update admins will have greater control and more options to control how their data is accessed and shared on a case by case basis. 

Getting started 

  • Admins: Admins can assign shared drives to various OUs using the new “Organizational Unit” column found in Apps > Google Workspace > Drive and Docs > Manage Shared Drives. Visit the Help Center to learn more about shared drives and managing shared drive users and activity.





  • End users: There is no end user setting for this feature — the ability to access or share certain files contained in a shared drive will vary. Visit the Help Center to learn more about sharing files in Google Drive. 

Availability 

  • Available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade, and Nonprofits customers 
  • Not available to Google Workspace Business Starter, Enterprise Essentials, Frontline, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers Not available to users with personal Google Accounts 

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – May 13, 2022

New updates 

Unless otherwise indicated, the features below are fully launched or in the process of rolling out (rollouts should take no more than 15 business days to complete), launching to both Rapid and Scheduled Release at the same time (if not, each stage of rollout should take no more than 15 business days to complete), and available to all legacy Google Workspace and G Suite customers. 


New idle status in Google Chat 
In Google Chat on web and Chat in Gmail, you'll see an orange clock badge for users that were recently active in Chat, but aren't currently active. We hope this makes it easier to determine the best time to connect with your colleagues. Visit the Help Center to learn more about availability statuses in Google Chat. 





Changes to the default Host Management controls in Google Meet for users with personal accounts 
The default setting for Host Management controls is changing for users with personal Google accounts. Previously, Host Management controls were ON by default — going forward, this setting will be OFF by default for new meetings. There are no changes to the behavior for Google Workspace customers or Google Workspace Individual users.



Previous announcements


The announcements below were published on the Workspace Updates blog earlier this week. Please refer to the original blog posts for complete details.


Improved user interface for sharing your working location in Google Calendar
This update improves the working location feature by offering the same functionality for easily entering and updating location information in a more compact format that uses screen space more efficiently. | Learn more here and here. 

Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, and Nonprofits, as well as G Suite Business customers. 


Easily search for Google Meet content in Google Drive
In Google Drive, you can now use app:”Google Meet” to easily find and organize Meet content such as Meet recordings, meeting transcripts, and more. | Learn more.


Import existing custom themes to new Google Sites
You can now import a custom theme from one new Google Site to another. | Learn more.


Create Spaces and Add Members with the Google Chat API, available in Developer Preview
Using the Google Chat API, you can now programmatically create new Spaces and add members to those Spaces. This functionality is available in preview – developers can apply for access through our Google Workspace Developer Preview Program. | Learn more.


Require email verification to book appointments in Google Calendar
When using appointment scheduling in Google Calendar, you can now opt to have users verify their email before booking an appointment. When enabled, the user must be signed into a Google account or validate their email address using a PIN code to complete the booking. | Learn more.

Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade, and Nonprofits customers.


New delegated VirusTotal privilege in the Alert Center
In 2021, we announced an integration between the Alert Center and VirusTotal. At that time, any admin who had the Alert Center privilege could access all VirusTotal reports. Now, we’ve added the ability for admins to control who can view VirusTotal reports. | Learn more.

Available for Google Workspace Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Standard and Education Plus.


Set up SSO profiles for multiple third-party identity providers with the Multi-IdP SSO beta launch
You can further customize authentication by setting up single sign-on (SSO) profiles for multiple identity providers and then configuring authentication for each group or OU. This feature is available beginning today as an open beta, which means you can use it without enrolling in a specific beta program. | Learn more.


For a recap of announcements in the past six months, check out What’s new in Google Workspace (recent releases).

Easily search for Google Meet content in Google Drive

Quick summary 

In Google Drive, you can now use app:”Google Meet” to easily find and organize Meet content such as: 

  • Meeting recordings 
  • Chat transcripts 
  • Attendance reports 
  • Polls or question and answer reports 
  • Meeting transcripts 
  • Meeting notes created in Google Calendar 

We hope this update makes it easier for you to quickly and efficiently find files related to Meet events in Drive. For example, you can search for Meet transcripts by the words they contain instead of their file format, Meet videos based on what folders they may be in (such as My Drive), or Meet recordings based on the date they were recorded. 



Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: When searching for Meet related files in Drive, use app:“Google Meet” in your query. 

Rollout pace 


Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers
  • Available to users with personal Google accounts

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – April 29, 2022

New updates 

Updated rollout schedule for additional Calendar statuses in Google Chat 
We’d like to provide updated rollout information for additional Calendar statuses in Google Chat, previously announced on March 14, 2022: 
  • Rollout for Rapid release domains will be complete on Wednesday, May 5, 2022. 
  • Rollout for Scheduled release domains will begin on Wednesday, May 11, 2022 and is expected to be complete by Tuesday, May 24, 2022. 


Previous announcements 

The announcements below were published on the Workspace Updates blog earlier this week. Please refer to the original blog posts for complete details. 



Easily manage storage related activity and policies through new storage management tools in the Admin console 
In the Admin console, storage related activities can now be accessed and managed from a single source. | Learn more. 



Quick access to additional actions when composing a message in Google Chat on iOS 
When using Google Chat on iOS, you can now easily take additional actions by hovering over the plus (“+”) icon next to the compose bar. You’ll see a variety of options such as: 
  • Sharing a Google Meet link 
  • Creating a meeting in Calendar 
  • Accessing Google Drive Text formatting options and more. 




Enhanced menus in Google Docs improves findability of key features on desktop 
We’re updating the menus in Google Docs to make it easier to locate the most commonly-used features. In this update you’ll notice: 
  • Shortened menus for better navigation 
  • Reorganization for more intuitive feature location 
  • Prominent icons for faster recognition 



Warning banners alert users of suspicious Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides files on web 
Previously, we announced warning banners for potentially malicious or dangerous files in Google Drive. We’re extending these warnings at the file-level — going forward, if you open a Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides file on the web, you’ll see these warnings. | Learn more. 


For a recap of announcements in the past six months, check out What’s new in Google Workspace (recent releases).

Warning banners alert users of suspicious Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides files on web

Quick summary 

Previously, we announced warning banners for potentially malicious or dangerous files in Google Drive. We’re extending these warnings at the file-level — going forward, if you open a Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides file on the web, you’ll see these warnings. 


Getting started 


Rollout pace 


Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers 

Resources 

Warning banners alert users of suspicious Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides files on web

Quick summary 

Previously, we announced warning banners for potentially malicious or dangerous files in Google Drive. We’re extending these warnings at the file-level — going forward, if you open a Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides file on the web, you’ll see these warnings. 


Getting started 


Rollout pace 


Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers 

Resources 

Improved Admin experience for moving folders from My Drive to shared drives

What’s changing 

Previously announced in beta, several improvements for moving folders from My Drive to shared drives are now generally available for admins and delegated admins. These improvements include: 
  • Retaining folder IDs (“copyless moves”) to reduce disruption due to the move 
  • Preventing moves that would exceed any shared drive limits 
  • Creating shortcuts for any items that can’t be moved, preserving the existing hierarchy as a reference 


Who’s impacted 

Admins 


Why it’s important 

Shared drives are a powerful way to empower teams and organizations to store, access, and collaborate on files. These improvements will help admins confidently migrate folders from My Drive to shared drives by providing them with more context on the changes they’re making. 


Additional details 

In the coming months, we will introduce end user support for moving My Drive folders to shared drives. Additionally, based on your feedback from beta testing, we are adding the ability to generate a report with more details about unmovable items. We will provide an update on the Workspace Updates Blog when these capabilities become available. 


Getting started 

  • Admins: Visit the Help Center to learn more about moving folders from My Drive to shared drives. 
    • Important note: We strongly recommend refreshing your browser before moving folders. 
    • If you are currently participating in the beta for this feature, all admins and delegated admins in your domain have access to the new feature.
  • End users: There is no end user impact.


Rollout pace

  • This feature is available now for all admins and delegated admins.

Availability

  • Available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Plus, and Nonprofits, as well as G Suite Business customers 
  • Not available to Google Workspace Business Starter and G Suite Basic customers, as well as users with personal Google Accounts 

Resources


New beta for data loss prevention helps protect sensitive data when users upload files to external Google Forms

What’s changing 

Previously, users in organizational units (OUs) or groups with active Drive Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies couldn’t respond to external forms with File Upload questions. 


Now, we’re launching a new beta that will allow users to respond to external forms that contain File Upload questions, while also helping to prevent the leak of sensitive and confidential information. This beta will apply your domain’s existing Drive DLP policies to files that your users submit to Google Forms, without creating new rules or updating any existing ones. 


Admins of eligible customers can express interest in the beta using this form. 




Who’s impacted 

Admins and end users 


Why it’s important 

With this launch, end users will be unblocked from responding to Google Forms with File Upload questions across domains. At the same time, DLP gives admins control over what their users can share, and prevents unintended exposure of sensitive information such as credit card numbers or personal identifiable information. 


Getting started 

  • Admins: 
    • Use this form to express interest in the beta. 
    • Once accepted into the beta, Drive DLP rules defined for your domain will be applied to files submitted to File Upload questions in Google Forms. 
    • If you are not using DLP for Drive, you can create DLP rules at the domain, OU, or group level in the Admin console under Security > Data protection. You can apply block, warn or audit actions, consistent with DLP for Drive.Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning data loss prevention in Google Forms on for your organization. 
  • End users: 
    • End users can respond to forms as usual, but can now respond to forms outside their domain, including forms that have File Upload questions. 
    • If a form violates Drive DLP rules for their domain, end users may see warnings or be blocked from submitting. 


Availability 

  • Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard and Education Plus customers 
  • Not available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Frontline, and Nonprofits, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers 


Resources 

Stronger data security and privacy with Google Workspace Client-side encryption, GA support for Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides

 What’s changing 

Last year we announced the beta for Google Workspace Client-side encryption. Now, this feature is generally available for Google Drive, Docs, Sheets and Slides, with support for multiple file types including Office files, PDFs, and more. 
This is a step in our commitment to enable Client-side encryption across Google Workspace, including Gmail, Meet, and Calendar. Follow the Google Workspace Updates blog to be informed on our next milestones on Client-side encryption. 

Who’s impacted 

Admins 

Why it’s important 


Google Workspace already uses the latest cryptographic standards to encrypt all data by default, at rest and in transit between our facilities. Client-side encryption goes beyond this, giving you authoritative control and privacy as the sole owner of private encryption keys and the identity provider used to access those keys. 
This can help you strengthen the confidentiality of your sensitive or regulated data while addressing a broad range of data sovereignty and compliance needs. 
When using Client-side encryption, your data is indecipherable to Google. You can create a fundamentally stronger privacy posture, whether that’s to help your organization comply with regulations like ITAR and CJIS or simply to better protect the privacy of your confidential data. 
Read our announcement blog post to learn our plans for Client-side encryption across Google Workspace.

Additional details 

To enable Client-side encryption, you’ll choose a key access service partner: Flowcrypt, Fortanix, Futurex, Stormshield, Thales, or Virtru. Each of these partners have built tools in accordance with Google’s specifications and provide both key management and access control capabilities. Your partner of choice either holds the key to decode encrypted Google Workspace files or simply provides you with software that allows you to hold the keys on-premise. Either way, Google cannot decipher these files without this key, which Google never has access to. You can also decide to build your own key service implementation using our API specifications. 


Client side encryption



Getting started 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

  • Available to 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.  

Resources 

See Google Drive events involving external users in your audit logs

Quick summary 

Admins will now be able to see events that include both their organization and another external organization or user (Copy, Move, ACL Change, etc.) in their Drive audit logs. 

For example, if you have an external guest user on some of your organization’s documents and the guest makes a copy of the document in their organization, that Copy event will now show in your audit logs. This can help you see new audit log events related to potential exfiltration that you could not see before.

Getting started 

  • Admins: This feature will be ON by default. No action is required, relevant events will appear in the logs automatically. Use our Help Center to learn more about Drive audit logs. 
  • End users: No end user impact. 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

Resources