Success Story
Florbs Empowers Managed Service Provider to Secure Client Data in Google Drive
Table of Contents
Introduction
Virtua Computers:
A trusted managed service provider
Virtua Computers is a member of Virtua Consulting Group, a full-service managed service provider based in the United States. With a focus on IT services for Mac-based organizations, Virtua also helps Apple consultants advance their businesses.
As a trusted managed service provider, Virtua Computers plays a vital role in helping its customers protect their valuable company data by implementing enhanced security measures and conducting regular data exposure audits.
“Florbs made me look like a superhero to my client.”
Jonathan Sessions
Director customer experience at Virtua Computers
“Florbs made me look like a superhero to my client.”
Jonathan Sessions
Director customer experience at Virtua Computers
Challenge
Undetected settings in Google Drive: A ticking time bomb for growing companies
As companies grow, IT settings that were once sufficient for a small team may no longer meet security requirements of a larger business.
It is crucial to regularly check, reevaluate and update IT settings to keep pace with a growing business and ensure that new demands are being met.
When outdated settings become a security vulnerability
For one of Virtua Computers' customers, a small family-owned company that had grown significantly over the past decade, a setting in their Google Admin Console had been turned on when they first started, years before Virtua Computers took over as the customer’s MSP.
This setting made every file added to Google Drive accessible to the entire organization, regardless of whether it was stored in a Shared Drive or personal My Drive. However, as the company continued to expand, this became a security vulnerability, as certain files contained confidential finance and HR information.
Beyond Google Drive's Auditing Tools
While Google Drive provides some basic auditing tools, they have certain limitations. Standard security checks are designed to audit only files shared outside the organization. In this case, since all data was secure from external access, the issue was not identified through standard audits. Instead, the issue was discovered inadvertently when it was found that employees were able to view files that they were not authorized to access.
Bulk action to efficiently manage numerous files in Google Drive
Virtua Computers' first step was to disable the domain sharing setting, ensuring that any new files added to Google Drive were no longer accessible organizationally. However, existing files were still accessible and there was no efficient method to update permissions for a large number of files that have accumulated over the decade. While Google Enterprise level DLP tool allows bulk actions, the number of files that can be managed simultaneously is very limited, rendering it unfeasible for managing the vast number of files that needed to be addressed.
“I spent more time searching how to disable the setting in Google Admin Console than actually running the bulk action in Florbs to unshare all files.”
Jonathan Sessions
Director customer experience at Virtua Computers
“I spent more time searching how to disable the setting in Google Admin Console than actually running the bulk action in Florbs to unshare all files.”
Jonathan Sessions
Director customer experience at Virtua Computers
Solution
Scalable data management in Google Drive
Changing file access permissions in Google Drive in bulk saves time and effort. It can be applied organization-wide and can be efficiently scaled for a fast-growing business.
Search for a scalable solution
Virtua Computers was able to immediately address any files that were concerning, but that was a manual and time-consuming process. They recognized the need to find a solution to help the organization as a whole, which led them to search for tools that could manage data in Google Drive in bulk.
Tailored solution in record time
Virtua Computers was looking for a streamlined solution to address the issue. Upon trying out a demo of Florbs Security & Auditing, they discovered that it could fulfill almost all their requirements, with the exception of one feature. They reached out to Florbs support team and were pleasantly surprised to have the missing functionality added to the app within 24 hours.
À la carte approach
Virtua Computers appreciated the option to buy Florbs Security & Auditing as a standalone product, without having to pay for additional features they did not require.
“Using Florbs was incredibly quick and efficient. It only took me about a minute and a half to search for the files I needed, select them, and write a bulk action. If I had wanted to address this issue organization-wide, I could have done so instantly. Florbs saved me a lot of time and made the process much smoother”
Jonathan Sessions
Director customer experience at Virtua Computers
“Using Florbs was incredibly quick and efficient. It only took me about a minute and a half to search for the files I needed, select them, and write a bulk action. If I had wanted to address this issue organization-wide, I could have done so instantly. Florbs saved me a lot of time and made the process much smoother”
Jonathan Sessions
Director customer experience at Virtua Computers
Result
All of the company’s files in Google Drive secured in a matter of minutes
Virtua Computers’ client was very pleased with how quickly the issue was resolved.
Efficient and quick solution
Florbs Security & Auditing solution for Google Drive saved Virtua Computers a lot of time. With just a few clicks, they were able to find all the files they needed, select them, and change file access permissions in bulk.
Optimized workflow
To ensure that all sensitive data in Google Drive was protected as quickly as possible, Virtua Computers used Florbs to prioritize securing files that were most likely to contain confidential information, such as personal My Drives, and files created by HR and finance departments.
Going above and beyond to provide excellent support
Florbs support team swiftly grasped the issue and created a tailored feature that met the client’s specific requirements.
“If it weren’t for Florbs, our client would likely still be going through the tedious process of manually changing file access permissions one at a time, or running scripts to change permissions for a small number of files at a time. Even two months later, they would probably still be struggling with the same issue”
Jonathan Sessions
Director customer experience at Virtua Computers
“If it weren’t for Florbs, our client would likely still be going through the tedious process of manually changing file access permissions one at a time, or running scripts to change permissions for a small number of files at a time. Even two months later, they would probably still be struggling with the same issue”
Jonathan Sessions
Director customer experience at Virtua Computers
Key takeaways
Tips for efficient Google Drive management
Utilize bulk actions for efficient file access management
Bulk actions are a crucial component of efficient and scalable file access management. By leveraging bulk actions, organizations can quickly and easily manage access permissions at scale, making it easier to enforce data security policies and ensure that sensitive information in Google Drive is only accessible to authorized individuals.
Under the radar
Since regular Google Drive security audit tools typically only check for files accessible externally, the setting that makes all files accessible organization-wide can go undetected for a long time. Taking the proactive step to check this for your company or for your clients as an MSP can help prevent potential data breaches.
Count on Florbs for support
Florbs is committed to being responsive to their clients' needs, and with their deep understanding of Google Drive Florbs is able to provide solutions that address their clients’ unique challenges.
“Our client was extremely satisfied with the speed and efficiency with which we resolved the issue, thanks to Florbs remarkable responsiveness.”
Jonathan Sessions
Director customer experience at Virtua Computers
“Our client was extremely satisfied with the speed and efficiency with which we resolved the issue, thanks to Florbs remarkable responsiveness.”
Jonathan Sessions
Director customer experience at Virtua Computers
Meet Florbs
Curious if Florbs can help you secure your data in Google Drive?
Learn more about Security & Auditing solution:
https://florbs.io/security-auditing/
Discover how to unshare multiple Google Drive files at once:
https://florbs.io/how-to-unshare-multiple-google-drive-files-at-once/
Start the conversation
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