How to secure Google accounts at scale in your organization

2025-07-21 | Article | Insights

Why Account Security Matters

Imagine joining a company and not receiving a company-provided email address. Instead, you are asked to create an email account with any provider you choose and use it for work. This is the equivalent of employees signing up for Google accounts independently rather than using centrally managed accounts. Unsecured Google accounts are one of the largest risk factors when using Google services like Google Analytics or Google Cloud. With unsecured Google accounts, organizations miss out on essential protection features, including:

  • Password enforcement
  • 2-step verification enforcement
  • Logging and audit trails
  • Threat detection
  • Centralized account oversight
  • Account suspension for compromised accounts

A security incident involving compromised Google accounts can hurt a company's reputation, leading to lost customers, damaged partnerships, and financial impact. Depending on the industry and location, regulatory compliance may mandate specific security measures for user accounts, including those accessing Google services. Failing to meet these requirements can result in fines and legal repercussions. This article will provide a roadmap on how to secure Google accounts at scale in your organization.

Consumer Accounts vs Managed Accounts

There are two types of Google accounts: Consumer Accounts and Managed Accounts. In a business setting, only managed accounts should be used. At companies using services like Google Analytics or Google Cloud, users typically sign up for Consumer Accounts with their corporate email address. Consumer Accounts are individual accounts that are not linked to any organization. IT admins do not have any control over these accounts and cannot manage security settings or enable single sign-on. What is recommended in a business environment are Managed Accounts. These accounts are affiliated with an organization and provide services like single sign-on (SSO), audit reports, and security settings.

How to Migrate from Consumer Accounts to Managed Accounts

The first step in transitioning to managed accounts is to assess an organization’s current setup. Key questions to consider include:

  • What is the current leading Identity Provider (IdP)?
  • What Google services are used?
  • What IT security policies and guidelines exist?
  • How is user suspension handled throughout the organization?
  • How many users actively use Google services?

Based on this assessment, a migration and implementation plan should be developed. The goal is to establish a scalable identity management system. Organizations should sync Google accounts with their leading IdP, such as Entra ID, Okta, or Active Directory to achieve this. This approach ensures centralized management and security enforcement. Additionally, the leading IdP can provide SSO functionality to improve the user experience and enforce password and login policies centrally.

Who Should Be Involved in This Project?

Successful migration to managed accounts requires collaboration between different teams:

  • IT and Identity Management Teams: Responsible for implementing account security and synchronization with the IdP.
  • Product Owners for Google Services: Found in teams using Google services, such as Marketing (for Google Analytics) and IT (for Google Cloud workloads

How to Get Started?

To determine whether you are using a Consumer Account or a Managed account, follow these steps:

  1. Open any Google services (e.g. Google Analytics, Google Cloud)
  2. Click on your profile picture in the top right corner
  3. Check the email address displayed
  4. If a message under your email states that your account is “Managed by your-company.com” you have a Managed Account. If no such message appears, you are using a Consumer Account that should be converted to a managed account.

Taking proactive steps to transition to Managed Accounts will enhance security, improve compliance, and streamline user access management across your organization.

Protecting your Google accounts is about safeguarding your business. This article provides a roadmap for securing your Google accounts at scale, but navigating the complexities of account security can be challenging. If you have any questions or want to get started on this security journey, reach out to Digitl!

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