Introducing security advisor, a new set of tools and insights to help small businesses protect their organization against cyber attacks

What’s changing

The cyber threat landscape is evolving and there’s been an increase in the sophistication and volume of malicious threats. Small businesses frequently lack the time, resources, and expertise that larger organizations have to implement robust security measures. As a result, threat actors often perceive these organizations as easier targets.

To help small businesses, we’re introducing security advisor, a set of new insights and tools designed to enhance security for small businesses – including threat defense, account security, and data protection capabilities. Security advisor offers tailored security insights, actionable guidance in the admin console, and simplified data protection controls — all to help businesses keep their customer data safe.

With security advisor, applying security settings is easier than before and the recommended settings can be easily adopted and customized to meet the specific needs of each organization in just a few steps. This helps organizations elevate their security posture, helps their IT team be more efficient by simplifying admin work, and helps reduce the risk of misconfigured security settings with a guided, in-app experience in the Admin console.

In addition to security insights in the Admin console, the security advisor feature set includes the following:

Chrome Enhanced Safe BrowsingGmail Enhanced Safe BrowsingGmail Security SandboxData protectionApp access protection

Admin console > Security > Security advisor

Getting started

Admins: In the Admin console, navigate to Security > Security advisor. Visit the Help Center to learn more about security advisor and turning on recommended settings.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on September 24, 2024

Availability

Available for Google Workspace Business Starter, Standard, and Plus

Resources

Gmail allows more senders to protect their brand using BIMI Common Mark Certificates

What’s changing

Since 2021, Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) has been critical in building trust between email senders and email recipients. To qualify for BIMI, senders must adopt best practices and have their domains and brand logos verified by a third party. Together, this helps foster trust among recipients, allowing them to easily identify emails for legitimate sources. Today, we’re pleased to announce two additional updates for BIMI that will continue to keep inboxes safe: 
Gmail now supports Common Mark Certificates (CMC), a new type of BIMI certificate being issued by Certificate Authorities (CA). CMCs allow a broader range of senders to utilize BIMI, who might not have the registered trademark required for a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC). With a CMC, the sender’s brand avatar will be displayed without the Gmail verified checkmark that’s displayed for VMCs. 
BIMI verified check marks are now displayed on Android and iOS.
Currently, Gmail on the web will display a verified checkmark for senders who have adopted BIMI with a registered trademark (VMC). Over the next few weeks, users will also see those verified checkmark icons while using the Gmail application on Android and iOS (Apple Mail or other mail applications are not supported). Note that this update is applicable for VMCs only.

Who’s impacted

Admins and end users

Why it’s important

BIMI promotes another layer of security to Gmail by requiring strong authentication and verification of logos before they’re displayed in Gmail as avatars. Strong email authentication helps users and email security systems identify and stop spam, and also enables senders to leverage their brand trust. This increases confidence in email sources and gives readers an immersive experience, creating a better email ecosystem for everyone. 

Getting started

Admins:Visit the Help Center to learn more about setting up BIMI. To learn more about BIMI and see the latest news, visit the working group’s website. To take advantage of BIMI for your outgoing emails to Gmail and other platforms, ensure that your organization has adopted DMARC, and that you have validated your logo with a VMC, issued by a Certification Authority.
End users: Users will see verified brand logos, and sometimes a checkmark icon, for senders who have adopted BIMI. 

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on September 24, 2024

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google accounts

Resources

Google Sheets tables are now integrated with conditional notifications

What’s changing 

Earlier this year, we introduced tables in Google Sheets, a feature that accelerates spreadsheet building by formatting and organizing your data into a polished design with column types, filters, color coding, dropdown menus and more. A month later, we added conditional notifications to provide you with greater visibility into spreadsheet changes most relevant to your workflow via email notifications. 
To bring these features closer together, we’re excited to announce a new integration between conditional notifications and tables in Sheets. 
As a result: 
Conditional notification rules can now be directly applied to tables and will recognize table column names. All tables now come with a new, easy entry point to conditional notifications in the controls header. Common conditional notifications will now be built-in to pre-built tables by default and can be enabled with a single click. 

Notified users will receive a detailed email that shows changes made to a Sheet: 

Getting started 

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. End users: If you own or have edit-access to a Sheet, you can add or view conditional notifications on your table by clicking on the lightning bolt icon on the table header. From here, you can view and choose to enable, disable, delete, or edit any existing rules. Up to 10 rules can be added to a spreadsheet. The rules are assigned default names automatically. However, you can update the name of the rule by utilizing the text editor. Please note: we group notifications for a better experience and they may take up to 30 minutes to send. Visit the Help Center to learn more about how to use conditional notifications and tables in Sheets. 

Rollout pace 

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on September 25, 2024 Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on October 16, 2024 

Availability 

Available for Google Workspace: 
Business Standard, Plus Enterprise Starter, Standard, Plus Education Plus Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Essentials Plus

Resources

Gemini in the Gmail app will now provide contextual Smart Replies

What’s changing

In 2017, we introduced Smart Reply in Gmail, a feature that utilizes machine learning to suggest three quick responses to emails based on the email’s content. Thanks to this feature, users have saved time, especially when on the go, by easily responding to emails with minimal effort. 
However, we realize there are scenarios in which users would like to respond with more than a simple “Sounds good to me!” or a “Yes, I’m working on it”. As a result, we’re excited to announce a new Gemini in Gmail feature, contextual Smart Replies, that will offer more detailed responses to fully capture the intent of your message. 
After initiating an email reply, users will see a few response options at the bottom of their screen that take the full content of the email thread into consideration. Hover over each response to get a quick preview of the text, select the one that feels right for the situation, and edit it as you see fit or send the response immediately. 

Who’s impacted 

End users 

Why it’s important 

The contextual Smart Reply feature saves time and makes inbox management easier. 

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. End users: Make sure “Smart features and personalization” is enabled in Gmail to access this feature. Visit the Help Center to learn more about smart features & controls and contextual Smart Reply in Gmail. 

Rollout pace 

Web & Mobile: 
Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on September 26, 2024 

Availability 

Available for Google Workspace customers with these add-ons: 
Gemini Business, Enterprise, Education, Education Premium Google One AI Premium 

Resources 

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – September 27, 2024

3 New updates

Unless otherwise indicated, the features below are available to all Google Workspace customers, and are fully launched or in the process of rolling out. Rollouts should take no more than 15 business days to complete if launching to both Rapid and Scheduled Release at the same time. If not, each stage of rollout should take no more than 15 business days to complete.

Use Gemini in Google Sheets to generate structured tables
We’re excited to announce that users can now generate structured tables with Gemini in the side panel of Google Sheets. Prior to this update, tables were output as plain text ranges without set column types or structure. Now, Gemini can help you simplify and accelerate spreadsheet building by bringing format and structure to unorganized ranges through table generation. | Rolling out to Rapid Release domains now; launch to Scheduled Release domains planned for October 17, 2024. | Available for Google Workspace customers with Gemini Business, Enterprise, Education, Education Premium add-ons and users with the Google One AI Premium subscription. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about using tables in Google Sheets.
Refreshed illustrations in the Google Calendar app on Android and iOS devices
We’re introducing more modern illustrations for Google Calendar events like coffee, lunch or doctors appointments on Android and iOS. You’ll also notice updated monthly illustrations for background images in the schedule view on your mobile device or tablet. | Rolling out now to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains. | Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. 
New “Gemini Advanced” branding for Gemini for Google Workspace add-on users
The Gemini app (gemini.google.com) will now display a “Gemini Advanced” label for users with a Gemini Enterprise, Business, Education, Education Premium add-on or a Google One AI Premium subscription. This will better indicate to users the advanced capabilities of the app included in these plans. We’re also updating this branding across our Help Center to better indicate which features and settings are specific to these add-ons. | Rollout to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains is complete. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about Gemini for Google Workspace.

Previous announcements

The announcements below were published on the Workspace Updates blog earlier this week. Please refer to the original blog posts for complete details.
Kickstart ideas, brainstorm activities, and differentiate content with the help of Gemini in Google Classroom 
This week, we officially introduced a new Gemini Education tab in Classroom that grants quick access to numerous AI tools. | Learn more about Gemini in Classroom. 
Introducing security advisor, a new set of tools and insights to help small businesses protect their organization against cyber attacks 
To help small businesses, we’re introducing security advisor, a set of new insights and tools designed to enhance security for small businesses – including threat defense, account security, and data protection capabilities. | Learn more about security advisor. 
Customize your Google Docs with polished cover images 
We’re making it easy for you to personalize and differentiate documents with full-bleed cover images that extend from one edge of your document to the other. | Learn more about cover images. 
Preview and test upcoming features on Google Meet hardware devices 
Using the new “Feature preview” setting, specific Google Meet hardware devices can be configured to test upcoming features prior to general availability. | Learn more about testing Meet hardware features. 
Gmail allows more senders to protect their brand using BIMI Common Mark Certificates 
We introduced two additional updates for BIMI that will continue to keep inboxes safe: Gmail now supports Common Mark Certificates (CMC) and BIMI verified check marks are now displayed on Android and iOS. | Learn more about BIMI Common Mark Certificates. 
Google Sheets tables are now integrated with conditional notifications 
There is a new integration between conditional notifications and tables in Sheets. | Learn more about tables and conditional notifications. 
Gemini in Gmail will now provide contextual Smart Replies 
We’re excited to announce a new Gemini in Gmail feature, contextual Smart Replies, that will offer more detailed responses to fully capture the intent of your message. | Learn more about contextual Smart Replies.

Completed rollouts

The features below completed their rollouts to Rapid Release domains, Scheduled Release domains, or both. Please refer to the original blog posts for additional details.

Rapid Release Domains: 
Scheduled Release Domains: 
Rapid and Scheduled Release Domains: 

For a recap of announcements in the past six months, check out What’s new in Google Workspace (recent releases).