Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is a critical component of Google Workspace, providing a means to identify and prevent the accidental or unauthorized sharing of sensitive information.
If you’re an IT administrator, you understand the importance of protecting your organization’s data and maintaining the privacy of sensitive information. There are some differences between setting up DLP rules for Google Drive and Gmail, which you can read more about the nuances here.
For this article, we’re covering both tools. Here are five Google Workspace DLP rules that you can steal and use to ensure the security of your organization’s information.
1. Block Unencrypted Data
Unencrypted data is particularly susceptible to unauthorized access and theft. To protect sensitive information, you can create a DLP rule to block unencrypted emails that contain sensitive data.
Here’s one we prepared earlier:
when ANY of the following conditions are met:
attachment name contains ".txt" OR ".doc" OR ".docx" OR ".pdf" OR ".xls" OR ".xlsx" OR ".ppt" OR ".pptx" OR ".csv" OR ".rtf" OR ".ps" OR ".eps" OR ".ai" OR ".indd" OR ".pub" OR ".html" OR ".htm" OR ".xml" OR ".mht" OR ".mhtml" OR ".msg" OR ".eml"
attachment content matches "sensitive information"
message contains "sensitive information"
message does not have the label "encrypted"
Actions to take:
reject message and notify sender
notify administrator
2. Block Sensitive File Types
You can create a DLP rule to block certain file types that contain sensitive information from being shared outside of your organization. For example, you can block the sharing of Microsoft Excel spreadsheets that contain confidential data.
Here’s one we prepared earlier:
when ALL of the following conditions are met:
attachment name contains ".xls" OR ".xlsx"
attachment content matches "confidential"
attachment does not have the label "internal"
Actions to take:
reject message and notify sender
notify administrator
3. Block the Sharing of Social Security Numbers
Social security numbers are considered highly sensitive information and should not be shared outside of your organization. Create a DLP rule to block the sharing of social security numbers in emails and Google Drive files.
Here’s one we prepared earlier:
when ANY of the following conditions are met:
attachment content matches "social security number"
message contains "social security number"
message does not have the label "internal"
Actions to take:
reject message and notify sender
notify administrator
4. Block Email Forwarding
Forwarding emails containing sensitive information can be risky. You can create a DLP rule to block email forwarding to external domains to prevent the accidental sharing of sensitive data.
Here’s one we prepared earlier:
when ALL of the following conditions are met:
message was sent to or received from an external domain
message contains "confidential"
message does not have the label "internal"
Actions to take:
reject message and notify sender
notify administrator
5. Block Email Forwarding
External domains can be a security risk, and you may not want sensitive information to be shared with them. You can create a DLP rule to block the sharing of sensitive data with external domains.
Here’s one we prepared earlier:
when ALL of the following conditions are met:
message contains "confidential"
message is being shared with an external domain
message does not have the label "internal"
Actions to take:
reject message and notify sender
notify administrator
Sometimes, you may not necessarily want to block these files. you may find that sending an alert to a manager of this incident could be more beneficial as it could start the process of suspicious activity of an employee
In conclusion, DLP is a crucial component of Google Workspace, and by utilizing these five Google Workspace DLP rules, you can ensure that sensitive information remains secure and confidential. To take your DLP skills to the next level, download Onsite Helper’s Guide to Mastering Google Workspace DLP Rules for Expert Insights and Templates.
Contact Onsite Helper for Expert Insights and Templates
If you’re looking for additional support in setting up DLP rules for your organization, contact Onsite Helper. Our team of experts can help you navigate the complexities of Google Workspace and provide you with the tools and templates you need to implement effective DLP policies.
