The Shared Drive Struggle: Why Google Admins Need a Better Way to Manage Access and Security

Shared Drives are a fantastic tool for collaboration in Google Workspace, allowing teams to easily store, share, and work on files together. However, for Google Admins, managing these Shared Drives can be a real headache. Let's dive into the top challenges and why it's so crucial to have the right tools for the job.

Top Challenges for Google Admins in Managing Shared Drives

• Lack of Centralized Visibility:?One of the biggest hurdles is the lack of a centralized view of all Shared Drives. It's difficult to quickly see who has access to what, especially when external users are involved. This makes it tough to ensure data security and compliance.
• Inherited Permissions Nightmare:?Inherited permissions can be a hidden risk. It's incredibly tricky to track down the original source of access when permissions cascade down from a top-level folder. This can lead to unintended access and data breaches.
• External User Access Control:?Knowing if and which external users have access to your Shared Drives is critical. Without a clear picture, sensitive data could easily end up in the wrong hands.
• Manual Auditing and Remediation:?Manually auditing Shared Drives for access issues and security risks is time-consuming and prone to errors. Admins need automated tools to streamline these processes.

The Information Security Threat

The lack of control over Shared Drives poses a significant information security threat. Here's why:

• Data Breaches:?Unintended access by external users or even internal employees can lead to data breaches, with potentially severe legal and financial consequences.
• Compliance Violations:?Failing to meet regulatory requirements for data protection (like GDPR, HIPAA, etc.) due to poor access control can result in hefty fines and reputational damage.
• Intellectual Property Theft:?Sensitive company information, trade secrets, or customer data could be exposed if access controls are not properly managed.

Empowering Google Admins with Control and Visibility?

Tricent provides Google Admins with the tools they need to overcome these challenges and secure their Shared Drives. Here's how:

• Complete Overview:?Tricent gives you a comprehensive view of all your Shared Drives, including external user access, shared files, and inherited permissions.
• Inherited Permission Management:?Easily identify and manage inherited permissions, tracing them back to their source for quick remediation.
• Simplified Access Control:?Gain granular control over who has access to your Shared Drives and ensure that only authorized users can view and edit sensitive data.
• Automated Security Audits:?Tricent automates the process of identifying and mitigating security risks, saving you time and reducing the chance of human error.

Real-World Use Case: The Marketing Agency Dilemma

Imagine a marketing team shares a Shared Drive with an external agency. Files are shared freely during the collaboration, including with freelancers using their personal Gmail accounts. After the project ends, access isn't properly revoked. Those freelancers, now working for a competitor, still have access to sensitive marketing plans and budget information. This is a data breach waiting to happen!

Tricent prevents this scenario by providing clear visibility into external user access and making it easy to revoke permissions, even those inherited from top-level folders.

Don't let Shared Drives become a security vulnerability. Take control with Tricent?

Download and install the Tricent Compliance Tool for free in Google Workspace Marketplace. It will give you a clear view of ALL your shared files across Google Workspace (MyDrives & Shared Drives).