To assist administrators in combating cybersecurity risks, Google is releasing a new security defender with advanced features for its computer software, Workspace.
Google uses VirusTotal, a threat analysis website, for a new feature in the Alert Center of Google Workspace. It was owned by Alphabet, which Google purchased in 2012.
VirusTotal-powered real-time notifications with information on security incidents in the admin's domain will now be available in the Alert Center.
The aim is to help administrators manage security alert interference by providing a single view of the most important notifications.
In 2018, VirusTotal was acquired by Alphabet’s Chronicle and is currently part of Google Cloud. Chronicle cybersecurity division offers cloud-based security information and event management (SIEM) tools.
The VirusTotal functionality allows administrators to delve further into security incidents and protects entities like IP address, a domain, or file attachment key.
It follows VirusTotal's release of VT Augment, which allows users to view third-party security tools like CrowdStrike's Falcon product for Google Cloud. It includes VirusTotal Enterprise, Google Cloud Security Command Center, and Chronicle.
Paid subscribers will get more detailed malware scanning updates, such as vulnerability signals to see connections between items in the VirusTotal dataset, a risk graph to analyze threat relations, and crowdsourced credibility details.
Besides, it includes fast search tools and information on how malware expands through geographic areas based on malware inputs to VirusTotal.
Google said, "No customer information is shared from Google to VirusTotal except when an admin clicks to retrieve a VirusTotal report for a specific entity.”
"These enhancements are starting to roll out in the coming weeks for Google Workspace Business Plus, Enterprise Standard and Plus, and Education Standard and Plus licenses, and will help empower admins to take an in-depth look at threats and potential abuse to better protect their organizations."
Google is now providing administrators with a way to lock Google Drive accounts being abused by staff.
Admins can block potential users from sharing content with others. When another user inside a domain spams or sends offensive material, this control can be useful.
Admins can delete any existing files shared by another user. They can also disable user's access to another user's material, even though they had previously shared details.
Google said, "User blocking will not only preserve Drive sharings' helpfulness but most importantly preserve the safety of Drive users. Drive user blocking controls are rolling out over the next few months."
