AI continues to revolutionize the way we work. The introduction of Gemini for Google Workspace gives users the ability to generate content and collaborate faster than ever before, with tools that distill insights and action items from vast amounts of workplace data.
While Gemini represents a leap in AI-assisted productivity, it also illuminates the need for secure data sharing practices with strong access control — especially as workplace AI leverages organizational data to inform its outputs. Here’s why it’s crucial to incorporate secure data sharing into your Google Gemini strategy.
Sensitive Content In, Sensitive Content Out
Gemini for Google Workspace integrates seamlessly with Google Drive and Gmail, enabling teams to generate and share information quickly, with less manual effort. Google’s AI-powered assistant can access and incorporate information from emails, Google Drive files, and cloud storage, leading to more informed and relevant outputs. The result? Accelerated collaboration both within and outside organizations.
But, it’s important to consider the content users can generate using Gemini. According to Google, “Google Workspace extensions enhance Gemini's capabilities by allowing it to access information from your Gmail, Docs, and Drive. This enables Gemini to locate, reference and incorporate this additional data, leading to even more informed and relevant responses.”
So, a comprehensive Gemini for Google Workspace strategy must include an easy way for end users to not only create new content – but also to securely share this content with collaborators and manage access to it as it inevitably leaves your organization’s perimeter.
The Human Factor: Speed vs. Security
In the rush to leverage AI's capabilities, it's easy for users to overlook crucial security measures. When working at high speeds, mistakes happen. A momentary lapse in judgment or a simple oversight could lead to sensitive data being included in Gemini-assisted files or emails and shared externally without appropriate protections.
This scenario underscores the need for a comprehensive strategy that not only embraces the benefits of AI-powered tools but also prioritizes data security and access control.
A Balanced Approach: Empowering Users While Protecting Data
To fully harness the potential of AI assistants like Gemini while mitigating risks, organizations must implement solutions that:
- Enable easy content creation and sharing in order to stay ahead of the curve.
- Provide secure methods of storing and sharing AI-generated content.
- Offer granular access control.
- Maintain visibility and auditability.
These requirements ensure that sensitive information remains protected even as it moves beyond network and application perimeters. Moreover, they give organizations the ability to revoke or modify access to shared data at any time, maintaining control over their intellectual property and confidential information.
Virtru for Secure Collaboration in the Age of AI
As organizations adopt AI tools like Gemini for Google Workspace, they must consider the implications on data sharing, and implement software that prevents sensitive data from leaving the organization unprotected.
Virtru provides several data security solutions that integrate seamlessly with Google Workspace to protect AI-generated content:
- Virtru Secure Share for Google Drive: Installed through the Google Marketplace as a simple Chrome add-on, Virtru Secure Share for Google Drive delivers a secure, controlled, and auditable way to share files directly from Google Drive, without granting unnecessary access to external collaborators.
- Virtru for Gmail: Client-side, end-to-end encryption and access control for emails and attachments shared via Gmail. Deployed as a Chrome extension, Virtru for Gmail makes it remarkably easy for users to encrypt and protect shared content — and maintain control over that content even after it’s left your organization.
- Virtru Private Keystore: Whether you’re using Virtru for Gmail, Virtru Secure Share for Google Drive, or Google Workspace Client-Side Encryption (CSE), Virtru allows you to host your own encryption keys in the location of your choosing, for an additional layer of control and security over encrypted data. For organizations concerned about exposing sensitive internal data to Gemini (e.g., data subject to strict ITAR or CJIS regulations), managing encryption keys outside of the Google ecosystem helps ensure that Gemini could not possibly decrypt or otherwise access the contents of those encrypted files.
These solutions strike a balance between leveraging AI's capabilities and ensuring the persistent protection of that data when it is inevitably shared — and allowing users and admins to revoke data access at any time, should sensitive information leave your perimeter.
Virtru + Google Gemini: Embrace Innovation Without Compromising on Protection
In this new era of AI-assisted work, the organizations that thrive will be those that successfully balance the power of artificial intelligence with the prudence of robust data security measures. As we move forward, let's embrace the future of work – securely.
Want to learn more about how Virtru can protect your organization’s shared data in Google Workspace? Contact our team for a demo.
