Software

The Benefits of a Google Workspace for Education Audit

K–12 districts receive security and general configuration advice in comprehensive examinations of their systems and services.

Carly Walker

Carly Walker joined Amplified IT after working as an e-learning technologist in the higher education industry for six years. During her time in higher education, Carly was the subject matter expert for Google for Education. Carly is currently a co-lead for the EDUCAUSE Google Workspace Community Group, as well as a Google Certified Higher Education Trainer and a Google Certified Innovator.

The digital landscape is constantly changing, but a domain audit can help schools make sure they have the most up-to-date security precautions and settings in place.

The Google Workspace for Education audits look at every part of a district’s Google domain and services. At the end of the process, district IT administrators will have a guide they can take to their stakeholders. This document shows school leaders what changes need to be made, how these changes will keep the school network safe and which ones should be prioritized. Frequently, there are more than 1,000 misconfigured settings found in the Google Admin console alone.

Why Should Schools Do a Google Workspace for Education Audit?

Many schools choose to perform a Google Workspace for Education audit for security reasons. The process can help district leaders determine whether their settings are properly configured to provide the strongest data security measures.

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As networks and programs update, changes can render a school’s security settings outdated or redundant. The audit ensures settings are aligned with current standards and best practices.

The security check can also help IT leaders in conversations with cyber liability insurance companies. These companies want to see that districts have examined their cybersecurity posture, and the Google Workspace for Education audit provides documentation on the entire process.

What Does the Google Workspace for Education Audit Entail?

The Google Workspace for Education audit is a comprehensive look at a district’s Google Admin console and other services. Over the course of three to four weeks, a consultant will analyze the district’s entire console, its services and even its devices, if applicable.

Then, the consultant will compile a report based on the district’s current state and provide recommendations on settings to change or update. The consultant will go through the documentation online, meeting with the district’s IT administrator to answer questions, go over any pain points and explain the recommendations.

The audit is very thorough. It examines everything from permissions and subscription settings to billing. It even looks at Google Drive sharing and whether a school has its Gmail accounts properly configured. If the district has Chromebooks, the audit can help IT leaders determine the devices’ security and steps for a refresh.

LEARN MORE: Why should K–12 IT teams prioritize upgrades for legacy technology?

When Should Schools Do a Google Workspace for Education Audit?

Districts should do the audit every other year. The Amplified IT team has many returning customers who do the audits every two years after seeing the benefits in their districts.

Many customers also request an audit during staff turnover or changes in IT leadership. An audit can help a new IT director step into their role with a comprehensive understanding of what their predecessor left them. It gives the new director a good starting point and helps double-check that everything is running smoothly.

This article is part of the “ConnectIT: Bridging the Gap Between Education and Technology” series. Please join the discussion on Twitter by using the #ConnectIT hashtag.