Google LLC today launched a new tool that will enable companies to keep an eye on the computers from which their employees access work applications and data.

Endpoint Verification, as the product is called, is rolling out for the core services in the tech giant’s cloud portfolio. This includes both business editions of G Suite, the Google Cloud Platform and Google Identify, a user management platform geared toward enterprises. The tool appears as a new tab in the administrator console.

According to Google, Endpoint Verification provides a centralized view of the desktops and laptops used by a company’s employees. Administrators can select a specific machine to bring up security information for that device.

Endpoint Verification enables companies to check if any computers are running an outdated operating system version in need of patching, as well as monitor important security settings. The tool can show whether or not a machine locks the screen when the user is away and also if disk encryption is enabled.

Google is positioning Endpoint Verification as a lightweight alternative to traditional mobile device management platforms. Since it’s integrated directly into the company’s cloud services, the tool should theoretically be easier to deploy than rival offerings. Endpoint Verification will probably be particularly appealing to smaller firms that don’t need all the bells and whistles included in traditional MDM solutions.

Endpoint Verification works with devices running Windows, Mac and Google’s ChromeOS operating system. It collects data using a native application and a Chrome extension that have to be installed on every machine. ChromeOS computers only need the browser extension.

Endpoint Protection bolsters the already extensive list of security tools that Google offers for enterprises. Previously, the company debuted a capability called VPC Service Controls that lets customers set individualized access restrictions for datasets and other assets they keep on its cloud platform.

Google is advancing cybersecurity in other ways as well. Only yesterday, it shared new details about BeyondCorp, an internally-developed approach to managing how employees access business systems. The model is touted as more secure than the virtual private network tools enterprise workers normally use to log into work applications. One startup, Luminate Security Ltd., has already brought a BeyondCorp-based product to market.

Image: Google