CloudLock Introduces Industry’s First Application Firewall for Google Apps

Google Apps with CloudLock Apps Firewall becomes the only enterprise offering that allows organizations to balance the apps users want with the security the organization needs

WALTHAM, Mass. & ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CloudLock, the market leader in cloud data security for enterprises, today announced the launch of CloudLock Apps Firewall at Gartner Symposium/ITXPO 2012, the world’s most important gathering of CIOs and senior IT executives. CloudLock Apps Firewall helps enterprises discover, classify and enable trusted third party mobile and web apps that require access to users’ Google Apps accounts and data.

“Consumer app stores also open up enterprises to new security risks. When users find it difficult to source the applications they need from within the enterprise, they often source those applications from consumer app stores, where they may unwittingly expose corporate data and systems to malware and data theft,[1]”

One of the major benefits of cloud collaboration platforms like Google Apps is end users’ ability to easily add applications to enhance their productivity. Many of these applications ask to be granted access to information and capabilities that are core to their function such as documents, email, and contacts. While these permissions may very well be legitimate to ensure the apps’ expected behavior, it is important for the corporate IT team to have visibility into what applications domain users are leveraging, to identify tools that could benefit the entire workforce and to ensure that these permissions are not overly intrusive.

“Companies moving to cloud collaboration suites like Google Apps, aren’t just moving their data, they're also fundamentally changing how third party apps gain access to that data. The shift to the cloud creates a new, virtual security perimeter that includes apps that read from and write to domain data, as well as the vendors behind them,” said Gil Zimmermann, CEO and Co-Founder of CloudLock. “CloudLock Apps Firewall helps enterprises extend their security practices to include apps that have been granted access to their Google Apps domain, discovering all apps and showing the scope of permissions and access available to each. Organizations can now provide users with the convenience of mobile and web apps, and ensure security, governance, and compliance policies are adhered to.”

There is no question that employees are using consumer and mobile web apps to get their work done. Companies using Google Apps can now use CloudLock Apps Firewall to balance the productivity gains from these apps with keeping corporate data safe. Companies that mistakenly believe their employees are not already using the cloud, can either keep their heads in the sand and ignore the fact that employees will use unsanctioned apps to do business related tasks, or they can use Google Apps and CloudLock Apps Firewall to embrace employee choice while maintaining control over how apps can access sensitive information.

CloudLock Apps Firewall is designed to allow employees the freedom and flexibility to perform their daily tasks while providing IT with the visibility and control to enforce the Approved Application Policy (AAP). CloudLock Apps Firewall:

• Provides effective, ongoing monitoring and discovery of new apps used in the domain
• Drives user productivity by promoting trusted, approved applications
• Protects the domain from unapproved application access, with enterprise wide visibility and the controls needed to remediate across thousands of users
• Educates users on the permissions third-party applications request and which are permissible by the organization
• Supports a distributed and mobile workforce, applying consistent security regardless of endpoint device

“We were looking for a way to monitor and control 3rd party apps in Google Drive similar to how we've done so with on-premise data in the past. Our move to Google Apps was a strategic one, and we want to give our employees all the tools they need to do their jobs. CloudLock Apps Firewall gives us exactly what we were looking for," said Steve Simmons, Director of Infrastructure, AMAG Pharmaceuticals.

“After demoing CloudLock Apps Firewall, we are very excited about what it can do for us. We will be able to have visibility into all apps that have access to our Google Apps domain, decide which apps we want to expose, and which apps need to remain hidden for further testing,” said Victoria Reyes, Applications Systems Administrator at Teach for America.

The cloud is fundamentally shifting the role of data security within the enterprise. Rather than holding to restrictive on-premise security protocols, savvy organizations understand the need to promote secure collaboration within fast-moving cloud platforms like Google Apps to ensure that confidential data is safe from unauthorized access or unintentional leakage. CloudLock is dedicated to providing enterprises with the solutions they need to enforce their AAP to locate applications that will benefit their employees while removing those that could potentially put data at risk.

“Consumer app stores create a number of challenges for IT leaders looking to support the application needs of an enterprise. They raise the bar for IT organizations by providing simpler ways to find, purchase, install and upgrade a wide variety of applications. When employees come to work, they bring their app store experience and expectations with them, and begin to expect a similar experience with their enterprise applications,” said Ian Finley, Research VP, Gartner Research.

“Consumer app stores also open up enterprises to new security risks. When users find it difficult to source the applications they need from within the enterprise, they often source those applications from consumer app stores, where they may unwittingly expose corporate data and systems to malware and data theft,[1]” added Finley.

CloudLock Apps Firewall is available today. Contact [e-mail] or visit http://www.cloudlock.com/apps-firewall to sign up for a free trial.

About CloudLock

CloudLock helps enterprises extend their data security practices and data loss prevention (DLP) to the cloud. CloudLock’s suite of security applications give businesses the controls and visibility they need to take advantage of the collaboration benefits of public cloud offerings, without sacrificing on security. The largest Google Apps customers in the world trust CloudLock to secure their data. For more information about the company or reseller opportunities call [phone] or visit http://www.cloudlock.com.

[1] Enterprise App Stores Reduce Risk and Improve Business Results, February 1, 2012