Google is still very much concerned with the millions of consumers around the world. Most of us are staying at home, no thanks to the global pandemic situation. The coronavirus has forced many people to stay and work at home. In the next few weeks, students will return to school albeit online only. It’s not the same in some countries but to be sure you’re safe, we encourage you to stay home. And since we’ll be working remotely until who knows when, we have to make sure our gadgets are in tip-top condition and our software and networks are secure.
Google wants to help ensure the safety and security of consumers by rolling out important updates to Gmail, Google Meet, and Chat. These are perhaps three of the most widely used Google programs during this quarantine season. For the IT admins, Google’s Admin Console can help as it allows easier management and the ability to secure devices even from a remote location.
Google is adding support for the BIMI standard in Gmail. A safe and secure email can also help keep the complete ecosystem secure. This BIMI, short for Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI), will allow companies to validate ownership of their logos and send them to Google securely. This is for those who authenticate emails using DMARC.
Google will verify the emails and if they pass, Gmail will show the logo in avatar slots within the Gmail UI. This new feature will greatly benefit brands as they require strong authentication.
Vice President for Standards and Technologies at Valimail and Chair of the AuthIndicators Working Group Seth Blank shared these words: “For organizations that want to create a trusted brand presence over email, BIMI is a great opportunity, incentivizing them to implement strong authentication, which in turn will lead to a safer, more trusted email ecosystem for everyone.”
The pilot will begin in the coming weeks. Only a small number of senders will get to have their logos validated. The images will need to pass through a couple of Certification Authorities: DigiCert and Entrust Datacard. Other changes introduced by Google include new controls for Meet and new security features in Chat.
