Understand the Need for a Strong G Suite Password Policy
Google App for Work (now known as G-Suite) is a great tool that can easily handle the entire functioning of any big or small enterprise (We must enhance Google Workspace password policy). Thanks to its various powerful applications like
- Gmail
- Hangouts
- Google Sheets
- Google Drive
- Google Docs
- Google Calendar
They are great for collaborative work. No matter where your teams are located, they all can work simultaneously (at any time they wish). Since everything is stored in the Cloud, this makes it easily shareable from anywhere. It automatically saves any revisions or changes made, without any extra effort of yours. All these flexibilities and easy access often cast the fear of associated risks. There are many instances where enterprises have been hit by serious hacking attacks. No doubt, Google gives various guidelines and restrictions and Google Apps provide basic password policy capabilities too. But, when you look closely, you will not find them as strict as they should be. You have to enhance the password policy of Google Apps.
Let’s have a reality check. Almost all of you know that it’s always better to use a combination of special characters, numerals, capital, and small cases in your passwords. But, how many of you using Gmail, follow this? Most of you skip various security options like adding your phone number or recovery email. To be very practical, service providers cannot be stricter than needed, as it often leads to a higher turnover rate than any other easy option. But, you can’t promote the same thought process when you are running your organization. For you know the cost. Employees always look for shortcuts; all it matters to them is to get their work done in the shortest possible time. It’s the management who has to force them to follow a secure path (which is often slower). What is the solution?
Extra Security Checkpoints to Enhance Google Workspace Password Policy
Well, the answer lies in CloudCodes’ innovative product, gControl. It provides additional enterprise capabilities that give unbeatable protection from any security breach. It features a strong password policy that is mandatory for everyone. So, no employee can skip it.
Let’s have a look at what an admin can do with the password policy feature.
It lets you implement complex passwords:
- You can set inclusion of the special character, numerals, capital and small cases, and even the length of your passwords. Various restrictions can be added, banning the use of keywords and usernames. And restrictions can also be imposed on previously used passwords.
- Admin can also set for automatic emails to inform about any suspicious login attempts. For this, they can set the number of wrong attempts and account blocking after a certain number of failed attempts for a set number of hours.
- It also allows you to set password expiry limit. This is important so that employees keep changing their passwords regularly. For this, it also features automatic reminder email before expiry. With all these checks, your system becomes secure manifolds.
- In connection with the password security, Self Password is another very witty feature of gControl. Since you are going to implement a strong password policy, chances are high that employees are going to forget and miss out on their passwords. In fact, most of you end up choosing an easy password just to recall it without giving strain to your brain cells. The self-password lets you reset your password when you forget it. It uses the OTP and questionnaire method to get back your password. The process of resetting is self-explanatory so that the employees don’t engage the IT team in this not-so-productive work of password resetting. And they can focus well on other important aspects of security management.
- Apart from these two features (Password and Password Policy), Multi-Factor Authentication also very useful. It’s a very innovative method, which uses the latest technology in practice. Many of you have used biometric authentication using your fingerprint. Multifactor authentication also does the same using your phone to input your fingerprint at the time of login. It’s a step ahead of the conventional two-step authentication method that uses a one-time password (or OTP) to authenticate your login. It’s such a strong feature that protects your system, even if hackers have your login credentials (username and password) and your registered phone.
- Apart from these password-related features, there are several other strong features that gControl provides. These are IP restriction, Geo-Fencing, Browser restriction, and Device restriction.
Together they Enhance the Password Policy of Google Apps to your organization that can’t be easily penetrated by even the smartest hackers.