Google Workspace Security: Top 6 Risks to Avoid in 2025

Google Workspace is a popular collection of user-friendly, cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools.

But its usefulness notwithstanding, one critical question arises:

How secure is Google Workspace?

Unfortunately, there are several Google security issues that can expose your organization to data breaches, business disruptions, financial losses, and reputational damage.

Fortunately, you can mitigate these risks and safeguard your business.

Read on to discover the top 5 risks to Google Workspace – and some proven best practices to avoid them in 2025.

#1. Phishing

Per one recent report, phishing was responsible for financially devastating data breaches for 9/10 organizations in 2024.

Phishing is a type of cyber-scam in which an adversary sends a fake email to trick a person into sharing some sensitive information or making a financial transaction. The email sender appears to be a legitimate or trusted source, and the email text may include tall promises or dire consequences. All of this together means that ignorant or careless persons often fall for the scam, allowing the scammer to gain unauthorized access to an organization’s systems, data, or money.

Best practices to avoid phishing

1. Recognize the signs

To avoid falling prey to a phishing scam, learn to recognize these common signs:

:

• Odd email addresses in From and Reply to fields; an unusual mix of people you are in the copy with;
• Sense of urgency. For example, phrases like “Urgent Request”, “I need you to do it right now”, “I can’t talk right now but need you to do something”, etc.;
• Unexpected attachments (do NOT open them);
• Weird links with misspelled letters. To validate the legitimacy of links you should scroll over them. Some of the URLs can have the destination address that doesn’t match the context of the rest of the email. If the message is from Amazon, you would expect that the link will direct you towards the address that includes ‘amazon.com’. If it contains something different, this is a scam;
• Requests that involve using sensitive data:  to buy something, to pay an invoice, to make changes, to provide information, etc.

2. Use enhanced pre-delivery message scanning in Gmail

This native service for Google Workspace admins increases Gmail’s ability to identify phishing emails and other suspicious content. You can turn on this option via the Google Admin console.

3. Implement Google’s advanced settings

Boost your Google Workspace cybersecurity with Google’s advanced security settings for phishing and malware protection. To turn them on, go to Apps > Google > Workspace > Gmail > Safety in your Google Admin console.

Learn more about preventing phishing in Google Workspace!

#2. Ransomware

Ransomware is a type of malware that prevents you from accessing your files until you pay a ‘ransom’ to the hacker. Basically, it encrypts the files and scrambles data into an unreadable format. To unlock it you need a digital key, which you get only after you pay. And the prices can often be severe.Furthermore, even after paying the ransom, you may suffer irreversible data loss – just like the 75% of victim organizations that paid the ransom in 2024 but did not get their data back.

Best practices to avoid ransomware

1. By increasing awareness about infiltration methods

To start, understand how Google Workspace files can be affected by ransomware. These include:

• By clicking on the wrong link while using your Google Workspace account. Usually, it happens through a phishing email or by unknowingly visiting an infected website.
• Through Google’s desktop sync client: Drive for desktop. This feature automatically updates cloud storage with local files, so if the latter are infected, all your Google Workspace files will also get infected and encrypted. 

Through third-party extensions and apps. Unauthorized or malicious apps with permission to access or manage your data can also increase the risk of ransomware infections.

2. Regularly run Google Security checkups

You can keep your Google accounts safe from ransomware attacks with a Google Security checkup. When you run the checkup (sign into your account first), Google will recommend active actions that you can take to secure your account, such as blocking someone from using your accounts without your permission and turning off access for less secure third-party apps.

3. Leverage automated cloud-based backup

An automated cloud-based backup solution can be your savior in the event of a ransomware attack. SpinBackup gives you unlimited storage and saves your data in case they’ve been deleted or encrypted.Thus, even if your Google Workspace files were infected by ransomware, you can restore them all with a few clicks. You can also block every suspicious app, so they can’t access your data.. You can also combine SpinBackup with SpinRDR to reduce costly ransomware downtime to <2 hours.

#3. Insider threats and human errors to Google Workspace Security

In 2024, 83% of organizations reported insider attacks in 2024, up from 60% in 2023. This finding clearly shows that your insiders employees can be a huge (and often are) a much bigger threat to your Google Workspace and data than cyber attackers.  Non-malicious human errors can also compromise Google Workspace security.

Best practices to avoid insider threats and human errors

1. Implement strong security procedures for outgoing employees

First, always follow the obligatory security procedures when employees leave your organization. They include:

•       Disabling access to Google Workspace services

•       Backing up employees’ data

•       Collecting all devices that had been given to employees

•       Reviewing all apps and add-ons they installed

2. Backup Google Workspace data and ensure data loss prevention (DLP)

Use a reliable third-party backup and cybersecurity tools for Google Workspace like SpinBackup.

 SpinBackup will alert you when abnormal data migration occurs within your organization and help you track and limit all company data movements and unwanted sharing with third parties. Also, you will be notified if someone is transferring sensitive data like credit card information.In addition to a backup solution, a DLP solution like SpinDLP can help you actively prevent data leaks.

3. Cybersecurity awareness training

Human errors that weaken Google Workspace cybersecurity are often due to poor security hygiene among employees. Address this problem with cybersecurity awareness training. A comprehensive program educates employees on the latest security threats and how to mitigate them to effectively protect the organization.

#4. Malicious Third-Party Apps and Google Add-ons

Third-party apps can be very useful but they also introduce new Google Workspace security concerns. If some app or extension is not developed by Google, it may present some threat to your data.

Many fake apps contain malware or can be used for your Gmail account security breach. Mostly, it is designed to steal your business data or damage it. They can look appealing since they are free and promise lots of features, so you or your employees may rashly download them.

To function, these apps request various permissions to your Google account. They may include the ability to edit or delete the data, and send emails on your behalf. And that’s where the threat comes in: every app you grant access in your Google cloud account introduces an increased security risk.

But the worst part is, when you work in an organization, it’s almost impossible to trace which apps have been granted permissions. One of many employees can unintentionally grant access to malicious apps and infect all shared work files with ransomware.

Best practices to avoid the risks of malicious apps

1. Download apps from reputed vendors only

Download apps only from reputed vendors and only from official sources like the Google Workspace Marketplace. Also, before installing any app, thoroughly review the permissions requested and only grant the permissions needed by the app to function.

2. Conduct regular app audits

Invest in Google Workspace cybersecurity service that provides a third-party app audit.It’s easy to conduct these audits with SpinOne for Google Workspace. With SpinOne,  you can see all the apps and add-ons that gained access to your files, as well as the level of trustworthiness of each app. This will enable you to easily identify high-risk apps and revoke their permissions if necessary. 

You can also try a free version of Spin.AI’s risk assessment solution. Spin.AI Chrome Risk Assessment, integrated with the Google Workspace Admin Console, provides full visibility and control for 400,000+ apps.

If you no longer need any apps, consider disconnecting them from your Google Workspace.

Learn how to keep risky apps under control with SpinOne!

#5. Brute-force attacks

Hackers always need your data. They can benefit from them in many ways. For example, they can sell them to your competitors, infect them with malware and demand a ransom. There are dozens of scenarios.

For obtaining your data, hackers have quite a range of means, and a brute-force attack is one of them. It’s done with the help of a password-breaking program that will automatically test a large number of password combinations until it cracks the correct password to access your Workspace accounts.

Best practices to avoid brute- force attacks

Strengthen security defenses

You can prevent brute-force attacks on your Google Workspace environment by strengthening security in all these ways:

• Implement a password policy that makes it mandatory for users to setup long and complex passwords for their Google accounts;
• Limit login attempts to stop potentially malicious parties from repeatedly testing username and password combinations;
• Use security challenges to verify user identities and keep unauthorized/malicious users out;
• Use Captcha codes that require human input to prevent attackers from using automated brute force programs;
• Set up Two-Factor Authentification to make it harder for hackers to hack into your Google Workspace even if they have the password.

In addition, use the SpinOne security SpinOne PlatformSpinOne Platform to detect any suspicious activities in your Google Workspace and alert you instantly to the problem. We also recommend adopting the best practices highlighted here if your admin account is hijacked.

Related Link: How to Recover Deleted Files from Google Drive

Conclusion

Is Google Workspace secure?

As this article shows, Google Workspace security is not fool-proof. Your Workspace environment is vulnerable to numerous risks that, if realized, can seriously impact your business continuity, customer relationships, financial stability, and reputation. Fortunately, you can mitigate these risks by adopting the best practices highlighted above.

Get started on your Google Workspace cybersecurity journey with SpinOne for Google Workspace. Click here to try SpinOne for free!