In today's digital landscape, safeguarding sensitive information is paramount for any organization. As the Infosec helmsman at Celtra, I spearheaded numerous projects aimed at fortifying our systems, esuring data protection measures while streamlining workflows. Leveraging the capabilities of Google Workspace Enterprise, one of them was bringing to life Automated Document Labeling using Data Loss Prevention (DLP) classification and rules.

Key to the decision-making process was the fact that the company already had an enterprise subscription for Google Workspace, making it a cost-effective and seamless choice for company needs at that time. With this foundation in place, we strategically focused our efforts on enhancing security within Google Drive first, as a significant portion of sensitive documents resided there.

One of the most exciting aspects of this project was the customization potential offered by the DLP solution. It allowed me to developed tailored regex patterns needed to identify personally identifiable information (PII) specific to our operating regions (eg EMŠO number). This not only ensured better compliance with regional data protection regulations but was also an opportunity to get familiar with creating regexes, which for me was something new and challenging (in a good way).

Implementing automated document labeling based on DLP rules was also a start on new era for Celtra infosec efforts. Gone are the days of documents flying out of Google Drive without any wisibility or control; With this, documents are automatically labeled based on predefined criteria. As a result Celtra was able to significantly reduce the risk of human error and ensuring consistency across the board. This not only leveled up overall security posture but also optimized collaboration by having clear guidelines for handling sensitive information, and most importantly, demonstrated commitment to safeguarding the privacy of our customers, platform users and employees.

But it wasn't just about functionality – the project also had an awareness notation, as people at Celtra were suddenly encuraged (or forced) to be more careful when sharing data, specially sensitive one.

From inception to implementation, this project showcased the importance of collaboration across departments. Working closely with our IT team, legal dept, and other key stakeholders like finance and HR, I've had to navigate through many challenges, bottleneck, disapprovals and dissagreements in order to come up with a fine-tuned solution that was needeed for Celtra's unique requirements. But in the end it was worth the effort since the solution deemed as a win-win once completed.

In today's world of hugely dispersed data in many organisations (specially cloud born), I firmly believe that proactive measures such as automated document labeling are crucial in staying ahead of threats and misuse pertaining to anyy kind of data. By leveraging the power of Modern Workspace features, like in this case Google Workspace Enterprise feature, we not only fortify our defenses but also pave the way for future innovations in data protection, without hidering employee productivity.

Anzway, this much for now. Feel free to ping me on any of contact channels should you wish to hear more about the project.