Google LLC today introduced a new security service in beta test that serves as a centralized portal for information technology teams to unify data on security vulnerabilities and act on potential threats before any damage is done.

The company said the beta availability of Cloud Security Command Center makes it the first public cloud provider to provide “organization-level visibility” into vulnerabilities and threats.

The command center was launched in alpha test back in March. At the time, Google described it as a “security and risk platform” for its cloud that works by gathering data and identifying potential threats, before preventing them from doing any damage. By consolidating visibility into services such as App Engine, Compute Engine, Cloud Storage and Cloud Datastore, it helps administrators understand any changes in these environments and mitigate unauthorized alterations.

The beta release of Cloud Security Command Center covers additional services, including Cloud Datastore, Cloud DNS, Cloud Load Balancing, Cloud Spanner, Container Registry, Kubernetes Engine and Virtual Private Cloud. It also adds new features, including 13 new identity access management roles that can be used to control access to Google’s cloud resources.

“With Cloud SCC, you can view and monitor an inventory of your cloud assets, be alerted to security anomalies, scan cloud storage to discover where you are storing sensitive data, detect common web vulnerabilities, and review access rights to your critical resources, all from a single, centralized data platform and dashboard,” Google Product Manager Andy Chang wrote in a blog post.

Chang went on to explain three ways in which Cloud SCC can be used to improve a company’s security posture. The first involves uncovering potential security risks by identifying things such as cloud storage buckets that are publicly accessible, or virtual machines with public addresses that could exposed to unauthorized persons.

Cloud SSC also allows admins to view and act on changes made to Google Cloud Platform assets. The service performs ongoing discovery scans, allowing users to view their asset history to understand exactly what’s changed in their environment and act on unauthorized modifications.

In addition, Cloud SSC can integrate with other security services, Chang said. These include Google’s Data Loss Prevention API, Forseti and Cloud Security Scanner tools, plus third-party security offerings from companies such as Cavirin Systems Inc., Cloudflare Inc. and Redlock Inc.

“By integrating partner solutions with Cloud Security Command Center, you can get a comprehensive view of risks and threats all in one place without having to go to separate consoles,” Chang said.

Google Cloud SSC is available now through the Google Cloud Platform Marketplace.

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