| name | cis-gworkspace-3.1.4.2.1 |
| description | Ensure Google Chat externally is restricted to allowed domains |
| category | cis-gworkspace |
| version | 1.3.0 |
| author | cyberstrike-official |
| tags | ["cis","gcp","google-workspace","google-chat","external-chat"] |
| cis_id | 3.1.4.2.1 |
| cis_benchmark | CIS Google Workspace Foundations Benchmark v1.3.0 |
| tech_stack | ["gcp","google-workspace"] |
| cwe_ids | [] |
| chains_with | [] |
| prerequisites | [] |
| severity_boost | {} |
Ensure Google Chat externally is restricted to allowed domains (Manual)
Description
Control how users chat with people outside of your organization. If you allow your users to chat externally, you can also allow them to create and join spaces with people outside your organization.
Rationale
Restricting external chat to only approved domains potentially limits the spread of company information.
Impact
Users will not be able to chat with users in any external domain, only approved domains. This will require some admin-level approval and allowlist maintenance.
Audit Procedure
Using Google Workspace Admin Console
- Log in to https://admin.google.com as an administrator
- Select
Apps
- Select
Google Chat and classic Hangouts
- Select
External Chat Settings
- Select
Chat externally
- Verify
Allow users to send messages outside <company> is ON
- Verify
Only allow this for allowlisted domains is checked
Expected Result
Allow users to send messages outside <company> should be ON, and Only allow this for allowlisted domains should be checked.
Remediation
Using Google Workspace Admin Console
- Log in to https://admin.google.com as an administrator
- Select
Apps
- Select
Google Chat and classic Hangouts
- Select
External Chat Settings
- Select
Chat externally
- Set
Allow users to send messages outside <company> to ON
- Set
Only allow this for allowlisted domains to checked
- Select
Save
Default Value
Allow users to send messages outside <company> is set to ON
Only allow this for allowlisted domains is unchecked
CIS Controls