Is It Time for a Google Settings Health Check?
Just over a year ago, I took the leap. I bought a smartwatch. Why? Well, they look pretty cool, right? I liked getting notifications on my wrist without pulling out my phone. To be honest, the biggest reason was my health. I wanted baseline data on how many steps I was walking, my heart rate and to allow the technology to compare my data to the industry standard. The interesting thing that happened once I knew the standard was I started exercising more. I knew the goals I had to reach.
Doing some quick research, I found out that 57% of smartwatch owners actually increased their amount of exercise after using a smartwatch. They became informed. That got me thinking about the technology environments in organizations like K-12 schools. It’s easy to get bogged down in the mire of standardized testing, state funding, classroom management, and a slew of other distractions. When that happens, the health of the environment can suffer without regular diagnostic “health checks.”
Let’s take environments that use Google Workspace for Education (formerly G Suite). Google provides default settings that affect the end-user experience and organizational security. Those settings shouldn’t always be accepted as doctrine. For example, many school corporations allow students to have access to email. What is typically missed is inspecting the settings to control WHO students can email. Without the proper settings applied, there is an increased risk of students sending and receiving emails to users outside of their domain. That could open doors for “unhealthy” threats like malware, ransomware, and other “bad actors” to enter the environment.
Do you know which settings are recommended and why? Have you ever conducted an assessment or diagnostic to inform you? If not, this is an ideal way to get your baseline data, know the best practices and chart your course to a healthier learning environment.
Interested in knowing the health of your Google Workspace for Education environment? Learn more here!
Written by Nathan Davidson
Vice President of Managed Services
Five Star Technology Solutions
