(05/20/25) – Take steps to ensure that Gemini and other AI tools will not expose sensitive information internally or externally. In this 3T@3 Series online event, Cumulus Global CEO Allen Falcon is joined by Paul Lees, CEO of Bespin labs to discuss the importance of data governance and security with gen AI in Google Workspace.
Google Workspace is a comprehensive and secure platform that empowers organizations to be more productive, collaborative, and creative. This series explores the power of AI built within Google Workspace across each of the workspace apps. In this post, we cover AI in Meet.
Google Meet offers business-grade video and voice conferencing designed to enhance collaboration. Gemini AI in Meet takes care of the details, enabling you to focus on participating instead of meeting management and logistics. Beyond providing a smarter meeting experience, Gemini in Met can help you look and sound your best.
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At Cumulus Global, our priority is ensuring that you have productive, secure, and affordable managed cloud services. We work to ensure that you get the most value from the IT and cloud services you need and want, without overspending, to best support your business objectives.
Unsure of where to start? Check out our IT Assessment or schedule a meeting with a Cloud Advisor. We will help you adapt while keeping your IT services secure and cost-effective.
Allen Falcon is the co-founder and CEO of Cumulus Global. Allen co-founded Cumulus Global in 2006 to offer small businesses enterprise-grade email security and compliance using emerging cloud solutions. He has led the company’s growth into a managed cloud service provider with over 1,000 customers throughout North America.
To state the obvious, AI data breaches and leaks will damage your business. Even sharing sensitive or protected information internally will cause problems.
Less obvious is the fact that you have already shared information that should not be shared. You should expect that private, sensitive, and protected information in Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 has been shared inappropriately to people within your company, outside your company, and/or publicly.
Not obvious to most is the fact that integrated AI tools, like Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot, will find, use, and share any information the tool can access.
Just because an employee or a customer has never reported seeing something they shouldn’t have does not mean they have not done so. Nor does it mean they will not see something that should be secure in the future.
The problem we face: the myths we believe when it comes to our own information security and the risk of AI data breaches.
What do we mean by oversharing? Oversharing is when somebody gives access to information (files or folders) that unintentionally gives others access to the information, directly or indirectly.
Most often, this happens when sharing a file or folder by link in an email or chat. You are prompted by the system to grant access. Typically the prompt is to give view access to “Anyone with the link” or “Anyone within your company.” This one-click option is easier than finding the file and editing the permissions.
The risk of course is that “anyone with the link” can be anybody — inside or outside – to whom the message is forwarded or added to a reply.
And “anyone within your company” means just that. They may not see it if they never search for it or for something similar.
We want to believe that our employees would never intentionally breach security or leak sensitive information. When we equate intentional acts with deliberate acts, we forget that many user actions can, and will, intentionally share information beyond what is appropriate.
With email, we diligently warn people that clicking the wrong link is damaging and to remain vigilant. We are not nearly as diligent when it comes to files and folders. Most of us assume that the permissions set on files and folders will keep us safe.
Like most myths, this myth is partially true. Both Google and Microsoft aggressively secure their cloud services and have a “shared responsibility” security architecture.
Microsoft and Google secure the services they provide to ensure only authorized users can access the services. They also provide the infrastructure for you to manage user accounts, access, and permissions. You are responsible for the security of your data within Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.
As an example, both services allow you to block external file sharing. If you choose to allow external file sharing and a file is mistakenly shared externally, this is your issue to resolve.
When you use Microsoft Copilot and Gemini AI, the tools have access to data according to the access available to each user. If a user has inappropriate access to confidential information, Copilot or Gemini have access as well.
Since the AI tools will collect, analyze, and integrate multiple relevant sources, the AI tools are more likely to find and use the information.
Ensuring that your information is properly protected as you begin using AI tools is not easy. The solution for preventing AI data breaches, however, does not need to be difficult or expensive.
Modern Data Loss Prevention (DLP) services give you the ability to
Mitigation can include redacting sensitive information and/or modifying permissions to bring them into compliance.
More robust DLP solutions offer advanced tools to manage access and permissions, such as conditional access, time-limited access, and managed permission overrides.
Both Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace offer DLP features and capabilities. Most of these features are within the Enterprise tier (more expensive) subscriptions.
For small and midsize businesses using Business tier subscriptions, adding an integrated, third-party DLP service will be less expensive than upgrading.
Third-party services offer robust management portals that are generally easier to learn and use than the built-in features.
First things first, do not panic. Begin by reviewing your current security and permissions policies, procedures, and top-level settings. Also, consider how you and your team are currently using Copilot, Gemini, and other AI tools, and how you expect or plan to use them in the future.
With a high level assessment, you can explore how you want to use DLP and which services will provide the most effective and affordable solutions for your needs.
Cumulus Global can assist with real-time assessments of your file and folder security to provide a benchmark and a baseline for planning and decisions. From there, we can help implement, configure, and manage your DLP services
At Cumulus Global, our priority is ensuring that you have productive, secure, and affordable managed cloud services. We work to ensure that you do not overspend on services and to focus your IT dollars on the capabilities and services you need.
Let us know how we can help, or schedule a meeting with a Cloud Advisor.
We will help you adapt while keeping your IT services secure and cost-effective.
Bill is a Senior Cloud Advisor responsible for helping small and midsize organizations with cloud forward solutions that meet their business needs, priorities, and budgets. Bill works with executives, leaders, and team members to understand workflows, identify strategic goals and tactical requirements, and design solutions and implementation phases. Having helped over 200 organizations successfully adopt cloud solutions, his expertise and working style ensure a comfortable experience effective change management.
Google Workspace is a comprehensive and secure platform that empowers organizations to be more productive, collaborative, and creative. This series explores the power of AI built within Google Workspace across each of the workspace apps. In this post, we cover AI in Drive.
Gemini in Drive helps you quickly find answers and insights from across your files. Catch up with summaries of long documents, query project folders, and automatically classify your most sensitive content.
The Gemini Side Panel is available when you are looking Drive. In general, you can:
File and Folder Management
At Cumulus Global, our priority is ensuring that you have productive, secure, and affordable managed cloud services. We work to ensure that you get the most value from the IT and cloud services you need and want, without overspending, to best support your business objectives.
Unsure of where to start? Check out our IT Assessment or schedule a meeting with a Cloud Advisor.
We will help you adapt while keeping your IT services secure and cost-effective.
Allen Falcon is the co-founder and CEO of Cumulus Global. Allen co-founded Cumulus Global in 2006 to offer small businesses enterprise-grade email security and compliance using emerging cloud solutions. He has led the company’s growth into a managed cloud service provider with over 1,000 customers throughout North America.
Whitepaper | Source: Google — You don’t need to be a data scientist or a machine learning engineer – everyone can write effective gen AI prompts. This 60+ whitepaper goes beyond “prompting 101” and dives deep into advanced prompt engineering with Gemini AI and for large language models (LMMs) in general.
Google Workspace is a comprehensive and secure platform that empowers organizations to be more productive, collaborative, and creative. This series explores the power of AI built within Google Workspace across each of the workspace apps. In this post, we cover AI in Gmail.
AI in Gmail lives in the Gemini Side Panel. Gemini in Gmail is your productivity partner that can help draft, reply, sift through, and summarize your emails to save you time at your desk or on the go.
The Gemini Side Panel is available when you are looking at your inbox and when you have opened an email or email thread. From the inbox, or at any time, you can:
At Cumulus Global, our priority is ensuring that you have productive, secure, and affordable managed cloud services. We work to ensure that you get the most value from the IT and cloud services you need and want, without overspending, to best support your business objectives.
Unsure of where to start? Check out our IT Assessment or schedule a meeting with a Cloud Advisor.
We will help you adapt while keeping your IT services secure and cost-effective.
Allen Falcon is the co-founder and CEO of Cumulus Global. Allen co-founded Cumulus Global in 2006 to offer small businesses enterprise-grade email security and compliance using emerging cloud solutions. He has led the company’s growth into a managed cloud service provider with over 1,000 customers throughout North America.
Google Workspace is a comprehensive and secure platform that empowers organizations to be more productive, collaborative, and creative. This series explores the power of AI built within Google Workspace across each of the workspace apps. We begin with the Gemini App in Google Workspace.
The Gemini App is a Large Language Model (LMM) service built to help you get more done in less time. It’s great for brainstorming ideas, researching topics, and improving your writing. Use Gemini to pressure-test your work against target personas, with enterprise-grade data protections.
Choose from multiple versions specifically designed for advanced reasoning, complex tasks, deep research, and everyday queries.
Explore complex topics and get findings from different sources across the web in a comprehensive, easy-to-read report that brings hours of research to your fingertips in mere minutes. The reports can also be exported into Google Docs to easily share with your teams, allowing you to dive into industry trends, understand the competitive landscape, or even research customers ahead of a sales meeting.
Gems are customizable versions of Gemini that help with specialized or repetitive tasks. It’s like having an expert to help craft compelling marketing copy, prepare for job interviews, brainstorm new ideas, and so much more. You can even feed Gems your documents and other information, making them smarter and more tailored to your needs.
Gemini seamlessly connects to other Google Workspace apps. Pull schedules from Gmail, PDFs from Drive, and content from Docs into the Gemini app without switching tabs or windows, so you can stay focused and get quality work done faster.
At Cumulus Global, our priority is ensuring that you have productive, secure, and affordable managed cloud services. We work to ensure that you get the most value from the IT and cloud services you need and want, without overspending, to best support your business objectives.
Unsure of where to start? Check out our IT Assessment or schedule a meeting with a Cloud Advisor.
We will help you adapt while keeping your IT services secure and cost-effective.
Allen Falcon is the co-founder and CEO of Cumulus Global. Allen co-founded Cumulus Global in 2006 to offer small businesses enterprise-grade email security and compliance using emerging cloud solutions. He has led the company’s growth into a managed cloud service provider with over 1,000 customers throughout North America.
Artificial Intelligence, AI, is here. Ready or not, your team is probably using AI tools on their own. If not planned and managed, AI creates risks and potential liabilities for you and your business.
Your initial steps into AI can be useful and secure. Picking the right use case is key.
In this Coffee & Clouds online event, Cumulus Global CEO Allen Falcon looks at three use cases that can help you step into AI safely and effectively.
Invest 15 minutes to understand how to ensure that your use of AI maintains privacy while helping your team do their jobs. Join us live or view the recording on-demand, and the Dunkin’ or Starbucks is on us.
eBook | Source: Google — With Google Workspace, powerful AI is included – not bolted on. Gemini AI is the AI that makes everyday work easier. This eBook provides an app by app overview of ways to use AI in Google Workspace
Updated January 22, 2025, at 2:00 pm et: See the easier to read chart and text that is in bold italics.
On January 15, 2025, Google announced a major shift for Google Workspace. Going forward, all Google Workspace licenses will include Gemini AI features and functions. Specific capabilities will vary by license type.
While customers will no longer need to pay as much as $30 per user per month for these capabilities, the cost for most Google Workspace subscriptions will increase by about 17%. This increase affects all subscriptions, even those opting not to use the newly embedded Gemini AI features.
For new customers purchasing directly from Google, the price increase took effect immediately.
For existing customers, Cumulus Global customers, and those working with other Google partners, the price increase takes effect on March 17, 2025.
The product highlights, and caveats are as follows:
The following table summarizes the price increases and Gemini AI features for both the Google Workspace Business and Enterprise tiers with Annual Plan Pricing. Flexible Plan prices increase similarly, reflecting a 20% upcharge.
Note that your pricing for Archived Users, Vault, Pooled Storage, Voice, and other products will not change at this time.
Google has indicated that it will cease billing for Gemini for Google Workspace licenses as of the end of January 2025.
As these services are billed in arrears, expect to see Gemini for Google Workspaces included on February 2025 invoices that cover January 2025.
If you have an existing single or multi-year agreement that includes Google Workspace and Gemini for Google Workspace, expect the Gemini for Google Workspace line item to be removed once service for January 2025 has been invoiced. If you prepaid for the year, you may be eligible for a credit or a refund.
We will update this blog post, and communicate with affected customers as we are able to confirm how these issues will be resolved.
Admins with appropriate permissions can manage Gemini AI features. Users have limited ability to control AI options.
Admins have the following options to control AI settings:
Users can control the following AI options:
Cumulus Global clients should contact our Service Team for assistance. If you are self-service with Google direct, or have licensing through another Google partner, schedule a call with one of our Cloud Advisors.
If you have considered upgrading your Google Workspace subscription to a higher tier, we recommend doing so before March 15, 2025.
If you are on a Flexible Plan, consider moving to an Annual Plan.
Allen Falcon is the co-founder and CEO of Cumulus Global. Allen co-founded Cumulus Global in 2006 to offer small businesses enterprise-grade email security and compliance using emerging cloud solutions. He has led the company’s growth into a managed cloud service provider with over 1,000 customers throughout North America. Starting his first business at age 12, Allen is a serial entrepreneur. He has launched strategic IT consulting, software, and service companies. An advocate for small and midsize businesses, Allen served on the board of the former Smaller Business Association of New England, local economic development committees, and industry advisory boards.
