Gmail is getting the security upgrade it’s always needed
Client-side encryption coming to Gmail and Google Calendar
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Googlehas announced that corporate users of itsemail servicewill soon benefit from a new security feature that should help prevent data from falling into the wrong hands.
As revealed at Google Cloud Next, the company’s annual cloud computing showcase, bothGmailandGoogle Calendarare set to receive support for client-side encryption (CSE).
Under this system, data will be encrypted on the end user’s device before being transmitted to datacenterservers, which means not even Google will have access to theencryptionkeys necessary to gain access.
The new feature will make its way to Gmail by the end of the year, and to Google Calendar in 2023.
Gmail security
At a basic level, the new security feature will mean that emails composed in Gmail are readable by the sender and intended recipients exclusively. It will also prevent anyone from reading any messages that might be intercepted in transit.
Google says it has always used “the latest cryptographic standards” to encrypt data that lands on its servers, to ensure bad faith actors cannot gain access to sensitive information. However, the new system will give businesses direct control over their encryption keys and theidentity managementprovider used to access those keys.
“Above all else, a secure environment is a requirement no matter your location or device,” said Google, in relation to the broader range of security features announced at Cloud Next.
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“We also want to help customers strengthen the confidentiality of their data, while addressing data sovereignty and compliance requirements.”
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Until now, client-side encryption has been available exclusively forGoogle MeetandGoogle Docsdata, but in recognition of the importance of watertight security across the board, Google is now extending the feature to other portions of the Workspaceproductivitysuite.
Separately, also in support of this broad objective, Google announced it is bringingdata loss preventionto Chat, allowing admins to put in place controls that protect against leaks in real-time, and new data sharing options to Drive that will give businesses tighter control over how files are shared.
TechRadar Prohas asked Google when customers can expect to benefit from these additional security upgrades.
Joel Khalili is the News and Features Editor at TechRadar Pro, covering cybersecurity, data privacy, cloud, AI, blockchain, internet infrastructure, 5G, data storage and computing. He’s responsible for curating our news content, as well as commissioning and producing features on the technologies that are transforming the way the world does business.
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