Google Creates Cybersecurity Action Team

Google is bringing together a bevy of in-house experts to form a new cybersecurity advisory team.

In a statement released earlier today, Google announced the creation of its new Google Cybersecurity Action Team, which it says will have “the singular mission of supporting the security and digital transformation of governments, critical infrastructure, enterprises, and small businesses.”

In pursuit of this mission, the team will provide services in four key areas: strategic advisory, trust and compliance, security customer and solutions engineering, and threat intelligence and incident response. 

“Customers need a consistent approach to preparing for and defending against cybersecurity threats,” said Phil Venables, vice president and CISO at Google Cloud and founder of the Google Cybersecurity Action Team. 

“Our comprehensive suite of security solutions delivered through our platform and amplified by the Google Cybersecurity Action Team will help protect organizations against adverse cyber events with capabilities that address industry frameworks and standards.”

One of the new team’s jobs will be to advise customers on their security strategies, including educational content and transformation workshops. 

“This function will advise customers on the structure of their digital security transformation and provide program management and professional services support,” said Google.

Another role of the team will be to simplify customers’ “compliance journey” through trust and compliance services that map Google’s global compliance certifications to industry control frameworks.

The team will also be involved with the delivery of threat briefings, preparedness drills, incident support, and rapid response engagements.  

Rosa Smothers, former CIA cyber-threat analyst and technical intelligence officer, now a senior vice president at KnowBe4, told Infosecurity Magazine that the formation of the new Google team would help organizations tackle the rising threat of ransomware. 

“In light of the NSA director Nakasone’s recent remarks that within the next 5 years we’ll see ransomware attacks on a daily basis, this team can serve as a bulwark – a part of any company’s overarching defense in-depth strategy – against threat actors,” said Smothers.

She added: “This is a great opportunity for companies utilizing Google Cloud. The company takes their security seriously.”