The Challenge
Google Drive makes collaboration easy, but broad sharing and data sprawl can expose sensitive files, forcing security teams to choose between restrictive controls and unacceptable risk.
Our Solution
Material continuously identifies sensitive files and risky sharing, then applies automated, flexible controls that protect data without blocking legitimate collaboration or slowing down the business.
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The Challenge
Google Drive makes oversharing easy and hard to see
The ease of collaboration in Google Drive is a double-edged sword. While it allows teams to move quickly, it also leads to massive data sprawl, where sensitive information is often shared too broadly. Even worse: it’s incredibly difficult to ascertain what sensitive data is exposed and who has access to what. Security teams are then forced into an impossible choice: lock down sharing and hinder the business, or leave it open and accept the risk.
- Restrictive 'block-all' policies kill productivity The traditional security response is to disable risky sharing features, like public links or access for personal accounts. This brings collaboration to a halt, frustrates users, and often pushes them to use find workarounds through unsanctioned shadow IT.
- Security lacks the context to make smart decisions Without knowing what's inside a file, security teams are forced to treat every shared document as a high-risk event. A harmless marketing deck and a confidential M&A document are subject to the same blunt policies, creating unnecessary friction.
- Manual audits are too slow and immediately outdated Trying to manage thousands of files and users with periodic, manual audits is a losing battle. The moment an audit is complete, a new user shares a new file, and the environment is once again exposed.
- Collaboration becomes a source of conflict When security's primary tool is to say "no," it creates an adversarial relationship with the rest of the business. Legitimate collaboration requests get bogged down in tickets and exceptions, making security feel like an obstacle to be overcome.
Our Solution
Secure sensitive sharing without blocking collaboration
Material Security provides a more intelligent, flexible way to secure Google Drive. Instead of blocking collaboration, Material gives you the tools to make it safe. The platform allows you to enable your business to move fast by managing risk at scale.
- Gain visibility into what's actually being shared The platform continuously scans and classifies the data within your Google Drive, so you know exactly where your sensitive information lives. This allows you to move away from blunt, one-size-fits-all policies and apply controls only where they're truly needed.
- Apply automated, flexible controls instead of restrictive blocks When a user shares a sensitive file in a risky way, you don't have to just block it. The platform’s automated workflows can notify the file owner, explain the risk in plain language, and give them one-click options to either fix the permission or provide a business justification, creating a self-correcting system that fixes itself without security intervention.
- Protect your most critical data with a zero-trust layer For your most sensitive, high-value files, Material can apply an additional layer of security that requires a step-up MFA challenge to access. This ensures that even if a link is shared too broadly, the data itself remains protected from unauthorized viewers.
- Enable secure collaboration as a default By implementing these intelligent, automated guardrails, you can confidently leave sharing features enabled. Your users get the freedom they need to collaborate with partners, customers, and consultants, while the security team gets the insight and enforcement power they need to protect the business.
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