What’s changing?
We know that sharing ideas and information is at the heart of trusted collaboration, so it’s critical that you can manage your files effectively and accurately. That’s why we’re introducing the beta version of Trust Rules for Google Drive. Trust Rules are a security feature that allow admins to set fine-grained rules for who their users can collaborate with in Drive, whether it’s people in your organization or outside of your organization. Trust Rules will replace the existing “Sharing Options” in Google Drive admin controls. When end users in a specific organizational unit (OU) or group attempt to do any of the following, admins can choose to allow, deny, or warn them:
- Share Drive files with external users or domains.
- Receive Drive files from external users or domains.
- Share Drive files with OUs or groups in your organization.
- Receive Drive files from OUs or groups in your organization.
Please see the announcement blog post for more information about this beta and our plans for client-side encryption in Google Workspace. The beta for Drive trust rules will be rolling out in the coming months and will be available to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus and Education Plus customers. Eligible customers can now submit a request to join the beta program here.
Who is affected by this change?
Admins and end users.
Why use this feature?
Trust rules will allow admins to create more secure and sophisticated access policies, helping them ensure that their data is shared with the right people and that only those people have access to it. Here are some examples of how you could use Drive trust rules to better control collaboration:
- Prevent the internal audit team from sharing files with people outside of the team.
- Warn the Finance team when they share files with the Sales team to ensure that the action is deliberate and not accidental.
- Allow the Legal team to share documents with a specific group of external counsel, but not allow them to do so with users outside of that group.
- Prevent users in your organization from receiving files from a specific external domain.
How to get started?
- Admins: Learn more request the beta here. We’ll begin rolling out the beta in the coming months, but when enabled, trust rules can be set at the domain, OU, or group level with coverage for both My Drive and shared drives. If you’re accepted into the beta program, you’ll receive more documentation about the feature.
- End users: You won’t be impacted until your administrator joins the beta and configures trust rule settings.
Rollout cadence
- We’ll begin rolling out the beta over the next few months, but eligible customers can now apply to use it. You’ll receive more details via email when the beta is available for use.
Availability
- Available to Google Workspace 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 customers, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers.
Resources
- Google Cloud Security Blog: Google Workspace brings new levels of trusted collaboration in a hybrid work world.
- Beta program sign-up form.
This original article was published published on June 14.
