Keeping your data private with Client-Side Encryption for Google Workspace

What is Client-Side Encryption?

Normally, encryption scrambles data when it’s stored on servers and when it’s being transferred. Google Workspace already does this. But with Client-Side Encryption, the key to unlocking your data stays completely in your hands. This means that even Google can’t access your data.

Benefits of Client-Side Encryption

• You’re the boss of your data: CSE gives your organization complete control over its own encryption keys. This is a big deal for businesses in industries with lots of regulations or those dealing with sensitive data
• No peeking from third parties: By keeping decryption keys away from Google, you reduce the risk of someone else getting their hands on your data, even if there’s a security breach or a government request
• Peace of mind: With an extra layer of encryption, you can relax that much more knowing your sensitive information stays private and under your control, even within the already secure-by-design Google Workspace environment
• Satisfy regulatory bodies with correct adherence measures

Is Client-Side Encryption right for you?

CSE is perfect for organizations that want the strongest possible data security. It’s especially helpful for businesses in fields like healthcare, finance & fintech or public sector like government and other public institutions that handle sensitive data or have to follow strict rules.

The use of CSE also goes towards satisfying many needs for certain regulatory bodies when it comes to data security.

Some examples are:

• Healthcare: Hospitals and clinics can use CSE to protect patient records, ensuring that sensitive medical information remains confidential
• Financial services: Banks and other financial institutions can use CSE to protect customer data, such as account numbers and transaction history
• Government agencies: Government agencies can use CSE to protect classified information and sensitive government data
• E-commerce: Online retailers can use CSE to protect customer credit card information and other sensitive data
• Research & Development: It applies here, too; many companies need to go the extra mile to keep their IPs fully protected

Things to consider

While Client-Side Encryption has some awesome benefits, it’s important to think about potential downsides:

• It can be a bit more complex: Setting up and managing CSE requires some extra IT know-how
• Encryption and decryption can add a few milliseconds of delay, but modern systems try to keep this to a minimum
• Some functionalities within Google Workspace might be limited to users outside of the Google Workspace ecosystem

The takeaway

Client-Side Encryption is a powerful tool for organizations that want top-notch data security for their Google Workspace. By weighing the pros and cons, you can decide if CSE is the right choice for your business.

Even Airbus recognized the importance of CSE and advanced security, which can read more about here — The story of how Airbus utilized Google’s advanced security to protect their most sensitive data.

Google Workspace editions required: Enterprise Plus

Interested in learning more? Contact us to learn more about how to secure your Google Workspace.