Google, Security and your Data

When speaking to clients about Google and Cloud technologies we are often asked if client data will be safe when using Google Apps.

With the recent news about Microsoft and T-Mobile losing client data many people are quick to judge all Cloud services as less than trustworthy. This is not true! Don’t judge all companies by the bad experiences of some that make headlines. However, always do your due diligence. We’ve done our due diligence regarding Google Services and we want to share it with you.

The #1 question we get from clients regarding Google Apps is will their information be secure? The answer is yes thanks to the Google File System (GFS), datacenter design and built in privacy/procedural controls.

GFS is Google’s revolutionary way of storing data. If you save a file to Google’s Servers that file is saved into the cloud. That means pieces of that file live on thousands of Servers and each piece of data is stored in multiple places. The only way to access that data is through Google’s interface. GFS is scalable, fast and very secure. From Google’s own website:

Google Apps data is fractured and obfuscated across multiple servers and disks, making it human-unreadable. Data is replicated in multiple data centers for redundancy and consistent availability.

Physically, each Google Datacenter uses the latest technologies to manage power, cooling and connectivity. You can view a tour below (warning: lots of technical jargon).

Notice the large containers that can be easily moved to relocate hundreds of Servers at a time. Did you catch the part about 45,000 Servers in that one Datacenter? From Google:

To reduce exploit risks, each Google server is custom-built with only the necessary software components, and the homogeneous server architecture enables rapid updates and configuration changes across the entire network when necessary.

Lastly, Google has procedural and privacy controls to protect user data stored on their Servers. There is Google’s Privacy Policy which states that users always own their data. Also, Google has established the Data Liberation Front, a team of Google Engineers dedicated to making sure you can always move your data in or out of Google’s Services. Google’s theory, you own the data and can access it at anytime, even to move it away from Google. This info is taken directly from Google regarding security:

People – Google employs a full-time information security team including some of the world’s foremost experts in information, application, and network security. This team is responsible for the company’s perimeter defense systems, security review processes, and customized security infrastructure, as well as for developing, documenting, and implementing Google’s security policies and standards.
Process – Security is part of the Google DNA. Each application is built from the ground up with security in mind. Google applications go through multiple security reviews as part of the Secure Code development process. The application development environment is closely restricted and carefully monitored to maximize security. External security audits are also regularly conducted to provide additional assurance.

As you can see above, your data is exceptionally secure from a data redundancy, physical and procedural standpoint on Google’s Cloud based services.

We are excited to be on the cutting edge of this technology. We offer a full array of services to assist businesses in making the transition to Google products. Contact us for more information!