Overview of the Security Center

Admin overview of Education Standard or Plus

This article provides an overview of the Google Workspace Security Center for admins using the Education Standard or Plus editions. The Security Center offers robust tools to help you manage and monitor your organization's security posture. In this article, you will learn about the key features available to administrators, the roles and privileges required, and some advanced security capabilities you can configure. For detailed guidance, refer to our comprehensive 11-page Security Center Quick Start Guide.

Admin roles: Privileges for the security center

As an admin using Workspace Standard or Plus, you have access to a range of security tools that help protect your organization. Super Admins automatically have full privileges for all security-related features, including:

• Alert Center
• Security dashboard
• Security health
• Investigation tool
  
  From the Admin console: Navigate to Security > Security center > Overview. Click on a card to visit that area, such as the Alert center, Dashboard, Security health, and Investigation tool.

Additionally, Super Admins can configure other advanced security settings. You can delegate certain security responsibilities by granting security privileges to other admins if needed. You can also create custom roles to give specific admins access to select security features. This flexibility allows organizations to tailor admin access based on their security needs. Learn more about configuring Admin Privileges for the Security Center in our linked guide.

See Admin privileges for the security center to learn more about privilege options and assigning security center privileges. 

The Investigation Tool can be customized further, allowing you to specify which admins can view or take actions in particular apps. This customization helps you ensure that only authorized users can conduct investigations across specific applications. Explore more details in our guide's Admin Privileges for the Investigation Tool section.

See Admin privileges for the investigation tool to learn more about the granular investigation tool privileges.

Additional security features to leverage

Google Workspace Education Standard or Plus offers a range of advanced security features that admins can configure to safeguard their environment further. Super Admins can set up and manage the following:

• Data Regions: Control where your organization's data is stored geographically.
• Advanced Mobile Device Management: Enforce security policies on mobile devices accessing your Workspace data.
• Windows 10 Management: Manage Windows 10 devices in your organization.
• Target Audiences: Define groups within your organization for specific communications and content sharing.
• Gmail Security Sandbox: Analyze email attachments in a secure environment to detect malware and threats.
• Gmail and Classroom Logs in BigQuery: Export activity logs to BigQuery for custom reporting and analysis.
• Context-Aware Access: Implement granular access controls based on device and user context.
• Third-Party Archiving: Archive data using a third-party service.
• Drive File Labels: Add metadata labels to files in Google Drive to enhance data governance and security.

Note: Ensure that all users in your organization have the necessary licenses applied for these settings to take effect.

For an in-depth look at these features and how to configure them, access our full Security Center Quick Start Guide.

Document Version	Date	Description of Change
1.0	3/18/2024	Changed context-aware external link to open in new tab
1.1	9/9/2024	Rewrote, reverify. Asking Kyle/Donald to review the linked guide from June 2022