Why Google Apps is more secure than your inhouse exchange?

Many people ask me why is Google Apps more secure than inhouse exchange? I am amazed to see this concern only when they evaluate Google Apps. This becomes a non issue if their employees access the email over internet. Even though the servers are within comapny – the access is over internet.

Normally I reply with a question – How secure are your own data centers? Considering that most of the clients have limited IT staff mostly staffed by short term employees – security is a major concern for inhouse exchange.

Why is Google Apps more secure?

Google operates one of the largest networks of distributed datacenters in the world – much larger than any company’s own email server and many hosted exchange providers. Google has to go to a great extent to protect their systems and hence their facilities are protected around the clock and they have a dedicated security operations team who focuses specifically on maintaining the security. Google controls, processes and policies that protect these data have been put onto test by a SAS 70 Type II audit – which normally an organization of average size will not do.

Here is what makes Google different:

• Each Google application is built from the ground up with security in mind.
• Google applications go through multiple security reviews as part of the Secure Code development process.
• External security audits are also regularly conducted to provide additional assurance.
• Google Apps data is fractured and obfuscated across multiple servers and disks, making it human-unreadable.
• Data is replicated in multiple data centers for redundancy and consistent availability.
• To reduce exploit risks, each Google server is custom-built with only the necessary software components, and the homogeneous server architecture enables rapid updates and configuration changes across the entire network when necessary.
• Google has a full-time information security team including some of the world’s foremost experts in information, application, and network security. This team is responsible for the company’s perimeter defense systems, security review processes, and customized security infrastructure, as well as for developing, documenting, and implementing Google’s security policies and standards.
• What more Guarentee you need – Google uses Google Apps too! From email to calendar to instant messaging – All Google employees are using Google Apps.

How secure is your critical business data within your company?

Next time before evaluating Google Apps security first ask your self – how secure is your data? This will help you in comparing Googel apps with your current situation. According to reports more than half of business critical data sits on user desktops, laptops, and removable USB drives. Losing this data will not only be frustrating, but also be damaging to the company’s business. Theft or loss of sensitive data puts organizations at serious risk of regulatory penalties, privacy violations, and brand equity damage.

Software-as-a-service SaaS has in built security

Unlike the traditional software, whhere employees save data to insecure USB drives, discs and laptops for easy access, with Google Apps (since they can access information securely from anywhere) they will not save critical data locally.