Google Apps for Business has passed an important security milestone by earning ISO 27001 certification, a move intended to reassure large enterprises that it is safe to move critical data and business processes to Google’s cloud.
The certification was announced on Google’s corporate blog by Eran Feigenbaum, the company’s director of enterprise security.
Rather than acting as an obstacle, security is increasingly becoming a reason companies adopt cloud services. Feigenbaum noted that organizations are recognizing how firms like Google can make security investments at a scale many individual businesses cannot match, helping to improve overall protection for customer data and services.
By securing ISO 27001, Google Apps for Business demonstrates that its systems, technologies, operational processes, and data centers comply with the rigorous information security management standards defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). This standard focuses on establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an information security management system (ISMS) to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.
The certification follows a thorough audit process conducted over six months by Ernst & Young CertifyPoint, an ISO certification body accredited by the Dutch Accreditation Council and recognized by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF). The audit evaluated Google’s security controls, policies, risk management procedures, and operational practices to ensure they meet the ISO 27001 requirements.
For enterprises weighing the move to cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools, third-party certifications like ISO 27001 can be an important factor in vendor selection. The certification provides independent validation that a provider has a formalized approach to identifying and managing security risks, applying appropriate technical and organizational controls, and committing to continuous improvement.
While certification does not eliminate all risks, it can help reduce barriers for organizations that must meet regulatory obligations or internal compliance standards before entrusting sensitive or mission-critical workloads to an external service. Google’s achievement signals an emphasis on accountable governance and documented security practices, which many enterprise customers consider essential when evaluating cloud providers.
In short, Google Apps for Business’s ISO 27001 certification represents a structured, independently verified assurance that the platform adheres to internationally recognized information security practices, offering enterprises greater confidence when migrating important operations to the cloud.