The new features are designed to conform with the latest US federal guidelines for cybersecurity.
This week Google introduced a new set of cybersecurity features for ChromeOS designed specifically to help businesses secure their critical data.
ChromeOS is an operating system uses the Chrome browser as its main user interface. The platform is widely used in the education industry, but Google has also worked hard to optimise ChromeOS to support enterprise software applications such as Microsoft 365.
This latest feature release is aimed at further strengthening Google’s OS offering for business clients.
The new security suite was announced by Tony Ureche, the Head of Security, Identity, and Privacy for ChromeOS. Writing in a blog post, Ureche explained how a group of US and international government agencies, including the CISA, NSA, and FBI have released a new set of guidelines for cybersecurity titled “Secure by Design, Secure by Default.”
The new ChromeOS, Ureche maintains, has been designed with these new guidelines in mind. “At ChromeOS, this is the cornerstone of our security strategy”, he writes. “ChromeOS devices are secure out of the box”.
Ureche continues: “Today we are delighted to announce an expanded set of built-in features to help businesses of all sizes protect their data and users”. These new features build on the new extension controls announced by Chrome browser last week, he adds, saying that Google is now “expanding data protection to the operating system”.
Data Controls, Insights and Monitoring
Primary among the new features is Data Protection delivered via ChromeOS Data Controls. These are now in general availability and they enable IT and Security teams to protect important business and customer data, Ureche says.
Using these new controls, admins can set up rules to prevent copy and paste, screen capture, screen sharing, and printing. IT admins can also set rules based on the data’s source and/or its destination. Admins can protect data “based on who needs to access it”.
In addition, a “Security Insights and Monitoring” feature will be provided through Google’s partnering with cyber security specialists like CrowdStrike, Palo Alto Networks, and Netskope through the company’s Security Insights and Reporting connector and the Identity and Access connector.
“With these capabilities announced today”, Ureche concludes, “ChromeOS continues to innovate and make the modern workplace safe and trusted”.