Identifying Risk in Google Workspace with Material & SADA, An Insight Company

Data-first Thinking

“In God we trust; all others bring data.”   — W. Edwards Deming

This phrase is attributed to W. Edwards Deming, business and process management expert. While the phrase itself isn’t in the book, Deming’s foundational principles around data-driven decision making were laid out in the 1986 book Out of the Crisis. Critics have pointed out over the years that an over-reliance on data in decision making can blind organizations to qualitative insights, and restrict creativity when trying to solve future problems. In this light of balancing being data-driven and allowing for creativity, SADA, An Insight company, has released a first-of-its-kind offering called the Collaboration Security Assessment, powered by Material Security. 

Partnering with SADA, companies big and small can get deep insights into the types of risk that live inside of Google Workspace, powered by a data-driven analysis of user behaviors, sensitive data in email and files, and posture settings by the Material Security platform. I had a chance to talk with Kelly Wright, Sr. Director of Workspace Services at SADA, about the new offering.

Conversation with Kelly

Josh: What was the original motivation in offering an assessment service of this type?

Kelly: Threats are always changing, and email attacks are still one of the most common ways for hackers to get into your system. That's why SADA is always working to improve our customers' core security.

For a while now, SADA has been offering a Workspace Security Assessment. We've helped a lot of customers make their Workspace as secure as possible by controlling things like multi factor authentication (MFA) settings, admin controls, and the right default and advanced settings.

But lately, more and more attacks are targeting data inside an organization’s collaboration environments. So we wanted to expand our assessments to include a deeper look at the data customers are keeping in Workspace and how users are sharing that data. Material Security was the perfect fit.

Josh: How should a customer think about the outputs of the Collaboration Security Assessment?

Kelly: The interesting thing we learned in the process of building out this offering was the nature of the insights that Material Security can present to customers. We’ve definitely heard from customers that while all this metadata exists in Google Workspace, it can sometimes be challenging to view it all in one place.

For example, one question that stands out is, “What sensitive data is sitting in my users' inboxes?” It’s fascinating to consider because, let’s face it, most users don’t go back to clean out their inboxes. That means sensitive information—like customer accounts, personally identifiable information (PII), order forms, invoices, and even internal strategy documents—can just be lingering there, unprotected.

The assessment provides a clear view of not only what data exists but also who it’s been shared with, which is a real eye-opener. These insights help customers gain a deeper understanding of their overall Workspace usage and associated risks. Ultimately, they’re invaluable for informing ongoing security discussions and strategies.

Josh:  Can customers see the Material Security platform in action during an assessment?

Kelly: Yes, customers can see the Material Security platform in action during the assessment. It connects to your live Workspace environment, pulling reports from real data. While the assessment is lightweight and requires minimal meetings, the Insight Report is the key deliverable.

Customers will have access to the Material console, but it operates in read-only mode, so there’s limited interaction. However, our strong partnership with Material means we can connect you directly with their technical team. If you find the insights from the assessment intriguing, we can quickly transition into a proof-of-concept directly with Material technical resources, to demonstrate how Material can help address what the assessment finds.

Josh: What else would you like folks to know about SADA?

Kelly: SADA is a leading cloud solutions provider, specializing in helping organizations harness the power of technology to drive growth. We offer a range of solutions and services focused on Google Cloud. Our services include collaboration and productivity projects, cloud migrations, application and infrastructure development, AI and data services, security assessments, and ongoing support, all tailored to meet our clients' unique needs.

We’ve built a strong partnership with Google, enabling us to leverage the latest innovations in cloud technology. This collaboration helps businesses streamline their operations and enhance productivity.

Some of the notable customers we work with include organizations like Guidewire, Agero, and Questrade Financial. It's exciting to see how we can support such diverse companies in their digital transformation journeys!

Material + SADA, An Insight Company

From the Material Security perspective, we’re incredibly excited to partner with SADA on this offering. Combining the insights from the Material Security platform into a well-packaged, time-bound assessment gives customers a chance to see what’s going on inside of Workspace, and use that data to help inform decisions about security, collaboration, and how to scale the business safely. 

‍Check out the Solutions landing page to see a range of assessment offerings in the Productivity and Collaboration space. And if you’re interested in the Collaboration Security Assessment, click here to get started learning about the risks in your environment today!

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