Google enhances user security with new tools

Google has launched a new Devices and Activity dashboard that shows all of the devices that are logged into your Google account and have been active on that account anytime in the last 28 days.

Clicking on a device will tell you the last time that it was synced, the location that it was last used in, the device model and the ability to remove account access.

That way, you can quickly see whether any unauthorized devices have logged in to a company account. And if any suspicious activity is noticed — say, an unknown login in a different country, or a sudden influx of logins on new devices — you'll be alerted automatically and prompted to change your password or security settings.

Eran Feigenbaum, Google for Work director of security,  said, “The page shows a comprehensive view of all devices that have been active on an account in the last 28 days, or are currently signed in. And in case any suspicious activity is noticed, there’s a setting to immediately take steps to secure an account and change a password.”

At the same time, Google has also launched a Security Wizard for Google for Work accounts. The Wizard walks users through setting up and using several security tools, such as account permissions and recovery options.

It works by guiding you through the steps to turn on or adjust security features, such as providing contact info for account recovery, or reviewing account permissions. It takes just a few minutes, and your employees can do it themselves, saving you time.

“This tool prioritizes all administrator settings for security features that end users are permitted to turn on,” Feigenbaum said.

“Security in the cloud is a shared responsibility and keeping your company information secure is at the core of what we do every day,” he added. “By making users more aware of their security settings and the activity on their devices, we can work together to stay a step ahead of any bad guys.”