Google Cloud Security: 8 Key Components and Critical Best Practices

What Is Google Cloud Security? 

Ensuring security in Google Cloud involves a set of practices, measures, and products to protect data, applications, and infrastructure. It includes identity and access management, network security, and the protection of data in transit and at rest. 

The focus of Google Cloud security is to ensure that all layers of the cloud environment are protected against threats, helping  users deploy applications and store critical data in a secure manner..

Key components of Google Cloud security include implementing encryption, detection mechanisms, and a set of policies and controls to protect operations. Google offers security services that are integrated into the infrastructure.

With compliance certifications and audit programs, Google intends to assure customers of security and privacy protections in place. Security measures should continually evolve to address new threats, keeping enterprise data and applications safe from unauthorized access or potential breaches.

Understanding the Shared Responsibility Model in Google Cloud 

Like all public cloud providers, Google Cloud follows the shared responsibility model, which outlines the security tasks divided between the cloud and its users. In this model, Google manages and controls components from the physical infrastructure up to the virtualization layer. The underlying infrastructure, including hardware, software, networking, and facilities, is Google’s responsibility. 

Users are responsible for securing data within these clouds, managing application security, identity and access management, and configuring network controls. This model requires users to understand where their responsibilities lie to manage security risks effectively. 

It’s crucial for users to implement security best practices for the areas they control, such as strong authentication practices and data encryption. While Google hopefully provides the secure foundation, the responsibility to use these tools and processes properly rests with the customer. 

Key Components of Google Cloud Security 

1. Infrastructure Security

Google Cloud’s infrastructure security is purportedly based on a defense-in-depth strategy, which involves integrating multiple security layers to protect hardware, software, and operations. Google designs its hardware infrastructure using a hardened version of Linux and chips like the Titan chip to establish a hardware root of trust. This design is intended to minimize risks such as the “vendor-in-the-middle” problem.

The platform hopefully ensures secure service deployment, operational device security, and protection for user identities and internet communications. These measures are applied at various stages of the information processing lifecycle.

2. Network Security

As with other cloud providers, network security is a shared responsibility between Google and its customers. Google is expected to ensure secure and encrypted traffic across the public internet and provide a defense against network attacks. Customers are responsible for defining application perimeters, managing network segmentation, and implementing additional protections like DoS defense.

Google Cloud’s virtual private cloud (VPC) is designed to enable private connectivity across regions without exposing traffic to the public internet. Shared VPC allows multiple projects within an organization to securely share a single VPC network. Additional features like VPC flow logs, global distributed firewalls, and VPC Service Controls aim to extend perimeter security and enable network monitoring and access management.

3. Application Security

Securing applications in Google Cloud involves  a combination of built-in tools and customer-driven practices. Customers are responsible for implementing authentication and authorization mechanisms, blocking malicious traffic, and securing APIs.

Google Cloud provides web app and API protection (WAAP) solutions to potentially mitigate common threats. This includes Cloud Armor, which filters web requests by geography or Layer 7 parameters, reCAPTCHA Enterprise for bot protection, and Apigee API Gateway, which hopefully secures APIs against threats like DDoS attacks. 

Cloud IDS (Intrusion Detection System) offers a managed, cloud-native service to detect threats such as malware and spyware. Additionally, Cloud Load Balancing protects against Layer 3 and Layer 4 DDoS attacks, intending to ensure application availability.

4. Software Supply Chain Security

Google Cloud aims to protect the integrity of software supply chains through lifecycle security. Its Binary Authorization service is supposed to verify the authenticity of software components during deployment, ensuring they meet organizational policies. Google also integrates measures like vulnerability scanning via Artifact Registry and dependency insights using Open Source Insights.

The platform supports the adoption of the Supply Chain Levels for Software Artifacts (SLSA) framework, which provides incremental levels of security maturity. It offers services to help customers establish chains of trust through attestations for build tools, tests, and processes.

5. Data Security

Google Cloud intends to provide data security through encryption at rest and in transit. Confidential Computing allows encryption while data is in use. Customers can use their own encryption keys (CSEK) or use Google’s Key Management Service (KMS), Hardware Security Module (HSM), or an external key manager (EKM).

Google Cloud also aims to help organizations identify and protect sensitive data using tools like Cloud DLP (Data Loss Prevention). This service discovers, classifies, and applies protections to hopefully prevent unauthorized access or data exfiltration.

6. Identity and Access Management

Google Cloud relies on Cloud Identity as an identity provider (IdP) for user authentication, supporting features like two-step verification and integration with third-party IdPs such as Okta and Azure AD. For authorization, Cloud IAM (Identity and Access Management) provides more fine-grained access control, allowing organizations to define “who can do what, where” across resources.

Google Cloud also aims to support a zero-trust approach through BeyondCorp Enterprise, with the goal that no user or device can access resources without meeting specified conditions. IAM policies and roles potentially enable centralized management of access controls.

7. Endpoint Security

Endpoint security in Google Cloud ensures devices accessing resources are protected and compliant with organizational policies. Tools like Endpoint Verification enable administrators to enforce device-based access controls, hoping to allow only secure devices to connect to cloud resources. 

Threat detection services, including Web Risk API and Safe Browsing, block malicious URLs and warn users of phishing or malware risks. Regular patch management, disk encryption, and secure boot aim to further minimize vulnerabilities, while integration with mobile device management (MDM) solutions might help enforce compliance policies, restrict risky device features, and remotely wipe compromised endpoints.

Google Cloud also adopts a zero trust security model through BeyondCorp Enterprise, requiring devices and users to meet security conditions before accessing resources. Administrators might monitor endpoint activity using tools like Security Command Center and Cloud Logging to detect and respond to suspicious behavior. 

8. Security Monitoring and Operations

Security monitoring and operational capabilities in Google Cloud are intended to enable continuous threat detection and remediation. The Security Command Center acts as a centralized monitoring solution to identify misconfigurations, detect threats, and ensure compliance. Cloud Logging provides audit logs to track administrative activities and access to resources, helping organizations answer questions like “who did what, where, and when?”

Other tools include Access Transparency, which logs actions taken by Google personnel on customer content, and Siemplify SOAR, which intends to simplify incident response through playbook automation, threat intelligence, and case management.

Related content: Read our guide to security analytics

7 Google Cloud Security Best Practices 

When working with Google Cloud, it’s important to consider the following practices to ensure security.

1. Conduct Regular Training and Awareness Programs

Cybersecurity is a constantly evolving field, with attackers developing new methods to exploit systems. Organizations should conduct frequent training sessions for employees, administrators, and technical teams to stay informed about the latest attack vectors, phishing techniques, and social engineering tactics.

Google Cloud’s Security Best Practices Center provides a centralized repository of tools, documentation, and resources that organizations can leverage to educate their teams. Additionally, organizations should customize these training sessions to address their specific security needs and use cases. For example, developers may need training on secure coding practices, while administrators may focus on recognizing and addressing misconfigurations.

2. Utilize Google Cloud Security Blueprints

Security blueprints provide a structured approach to implementing security across Google Cloud environments. These blueprints offer prescriptive guidance for configuring foundational security controls, ensuring that organizations follow best practices from the beginning.

For example, the Google Cloud Security Foundations Blueprint includes step-by-step instructions for securing deployment pipelines, managing identity, and access controls, and implementing encryption for data at rest and in transit. Blueprints are potentially helpful for organizations that are just starting with Google Cloud.

3. Emphasize Organizational Design and Resource Isolation

A well-thought-out organizational structure in Google Cloud is essential for maintaining security and operational efficiency. The principle of resource isolation ensures that teams, projects, and resources are segregated to prevent unauthorized access and reduce the risk of accidental changes to critical systems.

Google Cloud’s resource hierarchy aims to help enforce isolation and control. By organizing resources into folders, projects, and billing accounts, organizations can implement IAM policies specific to each layer. For example, access to sensitive production resources can be restricted to certain users or teams while providing broader access to development environments.

Resource isolation also allows organizations to apply security controls more effectively. For example, network segmentation using virtual private clouds (VPCs) and subnets ensures that a breach in one network does not affect others. Isolated resources can also make compliance audits easier by providing clear boundaries for sensitive data and systems.

4. Automate Security Workflows

Automation reduces the risk of human error and ensures consistent enforcement of security policies across Google Cloud environments. Tools like Cloud Functions, Cloud Run, and Cloud Build can be used to automate tasks such as policy enforcement, vulnerability scanning, and threat detection.

For example, organizations can set up automated workflows to detect misconfigurations and remediate them without manual intervention. If a firewall rule is accidentally changed to allow public access, an automated function may detect the change and revert it to a secure configuration.

Automation can also potentially simplify compliance efforts. For example, using infrastructure as code (IaC) tools, organizations can codify security policies and ensure they are applied consistently across deployments.

5. Adopt a Strong Backup and Disaster Recovery Plan

A backup and disaster recovery strategy aims to ensure business continuity in the face of data loss, system failures, or cyberattacks. Google Cloud’s Cloud Storage provides a scalable solution for backing up data. Enabling versioning allows organizations to maintain multiple copies of data, protecting against accidental deletions or ransomware attacks.

Organizations should also implement multi-region deployments for critical applications to improve availability and resilience. For example, databases can be replicated across multiple regions to ensure that services remain operational even if one region experiences an outage. Regularly testing backup and recovery processes is equally important. 

6. Limit External Exposure

Limiting external exposure reduces the attack surface and makes it more difficult for attackers to exploit vulnerabilities. Organizations can potentially use Google Cloud’s VPC to isolate resources and control access to sensitive systems. Firewall rules should be configured to allow only necessary traffic. 

For example, organizations can restrict SSH access to virtual machines by allowing connections only from specific IP addresses. Similarly, services like Google Cloud Armor can help protect applications from DDoS attacks and other web-based threats. By default, organizations should deny all incoming traffic and explicitly allow only trusted sources. 

7. Follow the Principle of Least Privilege

The principle of least privilege (PoLP) ensures that users, applications, and services only have the minimum permissions required to perform their tasks, reducing the risk of accidental or malicious misuse. For example, instead of granting a user the “Editor” role for a project, organizations should assign specific roles like “Storage Object Viewer” or “Compute Instance Admin.” This granular approach minimizes the impact of compromised accounts or services.

Organizations should conduct regular audits of IAM policies to identify excessive permissions or outdated roles. Tools like Google Cloud’s IAM Recommender can help automatically analyze permissions and suggest more restrictive policies. Additionally, enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of protection for sensitive accounts.

Related content: Read our guide to AI cyber security

Exabeam: Supporting Google Cloud Security

Exabeam enables Google Cloud customers to strengthen their security posture by integrating seamlessly with Google Cloud Security solutions. With prebuilt APIs and native connectors, Exabeam simplifies data ingestion from Google Chronicle, Google Security Operations, and other cloud-native security tools, ensuring rapid threat detection and response. 

By leveraging behavioral analytics and automated threat investigations, Exabeam enhances visibility across Google Cloud environments, reducing alert fatigue and helping security teams identify real threats faster. Whether securing hybrid or fully cloud-based deployments, Exabeam’s AI-driven security operations platform delivers contextual insights, accelerates investigations, and streamlines compliance efforts—allowing organizations to maximize their Google Cloud investments while maintaining a proactive security strategy.

Exabeam is a leading provider of security information and event management (SIEM) solutions, combining UEBA, SIEM, SOAR, and TDIR to accelerate security operations. Its Security Operations platforms enable security teams to quickly detect, investigate, and respond to threats while enhancing operational efficiency.

Key Features:

• Scalable log collection and management: The open platform accelerates log onboarding by 70%, eliminating the need for advanced engineering skills while ensuring seamless log aggregation across hybrid environments.
• Behavioral analytics: Uses advanced analytics to baseline normal vs. abnormal behavior, detecting insider threats, lateral movement, and advanced attacks missed by signature-based systems. Customers report that Exabeam helps detect and respond to 90% of attacks before other vendors can catch them.
• Automated threat response: Simplifies security operations by automating incident timelines, reducing manual effort by 30%, and accelerating investigation times by 80%.
• Contextual incident investigation: Since Exabeam automates timeline creation and reduces time spent on menial tasks, it cuts the time to detect and respond to threats by over 50%. Pre-built correlation rules, anomaly detection models, and vendor integrations reduce alerts by 60%, minimizing false positives.
• SaaS and cloud-native options: Flexible deployment options provide scalability for cloud-first and hybrid environments, ensuring rapid time to value for customers. For organizations who can’t, or won’t move their SIEM to the cloud, Exabeam provides a market-leading, full featured, and self-hosted SIEM.
• Network visibility with NetMon: Delivers deep insight beyond firewalls and IDS/IPS, detecting threats like data theft and botnet activity while making investigation easier with flexible searching. Deep Packet Analytics (DPA) also builds on the NetMon Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) engine to interpret key indicators of compromise (IOCs).

Exabeam customers consistently highlight how its real-time visibility, automation, and productivity tools powered by AI, uplevel security talent, transforming overwhelmed analysts into proactive defenders while reducing costs and maintaining industry-leading support. For more information visit Exabeam.com