Google Workspace Changes

Key access service APIs for Client-side encryption are now publicly available

Google has publicly released the key access service API specifications. This allows developers and organizations to build or integrate their own in-house key services to manage encryption keys and access control for Client-side encryption within Google Workspace.

Google Workspace Client-side encryption beta expanded to include Google Meet and Google Drive for desktop

Google is expanding the beta for Client-side encryption (CSE) to include Google Meet and Google Drive for desktop. This allows eligible customers to have direct control over encryption keys and the identity provider used to access them, enhancing data confidentiality and helping organizations meet strict data sovereignty and compliance requirements such as ITAR and CJIS.

Advanced context-aware access levels can now be configured directly in the Admin console.

Administrators can now configure context-aware access (CAA) custom access levels using advanced attributes directly from the Google Workspace Admin console. This includes the use of advanced signals such as time/date restrictions, credential strength, Chrome browser attributes, verified ChromeOS, and third-party signals via BeyondCorp Alliance partners to enhance security configurations.

Google Drive introduces search chips in beta to help users refine search results.

Google Drive is launching a beta feature called search chips, which allows users to narrow down their search results more effectively. Users can filter results based on file type (e.g., Google Doc, PDF, or image), people, location (such as a shared drive or specific folder), last modified date, file titles, and shared drive labels, mirroring functionality already available in Gmail.

New search and automated entry function for citations in Google Docs.

Google Docs has introduced a new feature that allows users to search for books and online sources to automatically populate citation attributes. This automation is designed to speed up the source creation process, ensure correct formatting, and reduce manual errors when managing citations within documents.