Google on Thursday announced it’s adding a collection of plug-and-play integrations into Chrome with popular IT security tools. This will make it easier for IT teams to keep workers safer — on the Chrome browser and using Chrome OS devices — with the security products they already use.
The new Chrome Enterprise Connectors Framework currently comprises tools in a handful of different categories: There are integrations for identity and user access, integrations for endpoint management, and integrations for security insights and reporting.
The Connectors Framework is part of Google’s larger effort to promote a zero trust security model:
- For identity and user access: the Netskope Security Cloud integration optimizes user access to critical data based on verifying the user, the device and action requested by the user. The Okta Identity Engine’s policy support for Chrome OS provides authentication controls.
- For endpoint management across mobile and desktop: there are new BlackBerry UEM and Samsung Knox Manage integrations. In addition to these two new integrations, VMware Workspace ONE will update its existing integration to the new Chrome Policy API and will be available through Google’s Trusted Tester Program soon.
- For security insights and reporting: there’s the new Splunk Cloud Platform integration. Palo Alto Networks and Crowdstrike integrations will be available through the Trusted Tester Program soon.
Google is also making it easier to find these integrations with a new Security & Trust category within Chrome Enterprise Recommended.
Meanwhile, to keep sensitive data from being leaked or stolen from devices, Google is introducing Chrome OS Data Controls for IT admins. They’ll be able to define rules that are triggered by certain actions that could lead to data loss, such as copy and paste, screen capture or printing.