UPDATED 20:00 EDT / JULY 31 2019

SECURITY

Google beefs up security for physical hardware and personal accounts

Google LLC today announced another round of security updates for large enterprises.

The first of the updates, announced at Google’s Cloud Next ’19 conference in Tokyo, relates to physical security measures Google introduced last year with the launch of its Titan security keys. The Titan security keys are a small device that ensures only people located close to a computer can actually access it, which is a useful measure for protecting machines with lots of sensitive data and assets.

When Titan security keys are required for access, would-be hackers would not only need to get their hands on the device, but also be within 30 feet of the target computer to have any hope of gaining access. In theory, then, Titan keys provide far greater security than two-factor authentication, which can be vulnerable to countermeasures such as SIM swapping, a type of identity theft using information in the SIM cards that connect cell phones to networks.

In a blog post, Google product managers Karthik Lakshminarayanan and Vidya Nagarajan said Google’s Titan security keys are now being made available to customers outside the U.S., specifically in Japan, Canada, France and the U.K., for the first time. The keys can be purchased now directly from the Google Store in those countries.

Google is also rolling out what it calls an Advanced Protection Program, available to Google Cloud Platform, G Suite and Cloud Identity customers. The program is designed to protect the Google accounts of individuals who are likely to be on the hit lists of attackers, including information technology administrators, company executives and employees in “security-sensitive” industries such as finance or government.

With Advanced Protection, Google enforces more secure policies to safeguard user accounts, including the use of its Titan Security keys, and blocking the use of third-party apps that have not been authorized. The policies also ensure that any incoming emails are scanned for phishing attacks that attempt to steal user’s login credentials, as well as viruses and attachments that might have malicious content.

Google said the Advanced Protection Program is rolling out in the “next few days” and will be available in beta.

Meanwhile, for G Suite users, Google is adding a new machine learning-based anomaly detection feature in beta that detects anomalous activity and alerts admins to any potential risks.

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“Our machine learning models analyze security signals within Google Drive to detect potential security risks such as data exfiltration or policy violations related to unusual external file sharing and download behavior,” Lakshminarayanan and Nagarajan said.

Last, Google is making life a little more convenient for customers who still rely on legacy apps that require users to login with a user name and password. While Google has offered so-called “single sign-on” for cloud-based software-as-a-service apps for some time, it hasn’t been available for older apps until now.

“The combination of standards based- and password-vaulted app support will deliver one of the largest app catalogs in the industry, providing seamless one-click access for users and a single point of management, visibility, and control for admins,” the product managers said.

Images: Google

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