According to cyber insurance data collected by insurance firm Coalition, businesses using Google Workspace are only half as likely as companies using Microsoft 365 to suffer a reportable cyberattack. The firm’s 2023 Cyber Claims Report found that companies using Microsoft Office 365 were 133% more likely to make a claim against insurance compared to companies using Google Workspace. Another analysis of claims data by insurer At-Bay also found that Microsoft 365 had double the relative email claims frequency compared to businesses using Google Workspace.
These findings suggest that Google Workspace is less risky than Microsoft 365, resulting in higher premiums for Microsoft 365 users. Adam Tyra, general manager of security services for At-Bay, states that Google Workspace users will see significantly lower premiums compared to Microsoft 365 users based on the actual outcomes experienced by insured individuals.
Both Microsoft’s and Google’s platforms are popular targets for attackers. In 2022, email campaigns targeted Microsoft 365 accounts to steal credentials and employees’ information. Additionally, researchers discovered a way to bypass logging on Google Workspace to download data from Google Drive without leaving a trace.
While the relative risk of the two platforms has rarely been measured, the data from Coalition and At-Bay suggests that Microsoft 365 users are at greater risk than their Google Workspace counterparts. Microsoft did not directly address the insurers’ data or conclusions but outlined its efforts to combat email-borne attacks.
Email remains a major vector for attackers, as emphasized by Coalition and At-Bay. Business email compromise (BEC) accounted for about 26% of cyber claims reported by Coalition’s policyholders, while ransomware accounted for 19%. Similarly, email contributed to 41% of all claims by At-Bay’s customers in the first half of 2023, with Tyra noting that insecure email continues to be a significant risk factor.
Coalition theorized that the disparity in claims frequency could be due to the default protections offered by the platforms. The base Microsoft licenses do not include Defender for Office 365, which provides additional email security features that Google offers in its base offering.
Google touts its cloud-native services and secure design as advantages against attackers. With machine learning incorporated since 2004 and a large user population of 3 billion accounts for threat intelligence, Gmail and Google Workspace continuously develop new protections.
It remains unclear whether Google Workspace should be the go-to email solution for companies. At-Bay mentioned that the disparity in claims frequency may be more related to the circumstances surrounding organizations operating these solutions rather than the effectiveness of the solutions themselves.
However, both companies stress that using any cloud-based email platform is superior to an on-premises system. Cloud versions provide more sophisticated features, such as machine learning, real-time threat intelligence gathering, and responsiveness to ongoing threats.
Implementing multifactor authentication on all accounts, starting with the most privileged ones, is recommended. Companies should also employ email security technologies like Sender Policy Framework (SPF), DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), and Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC) to mitigate email threats. Regular training on phishing attacks, good password practices, and how to avoid taking actions based on suspicious emails is also essential.
In conclusion, the insurance data suggests that businesses using Google Workspace have a lower risk of cyberattacks compared to those using Microsoft 365. However, it is crucial for organizations to implement proper security measures, regardless of the email platform they choose, to protect against evolving cyber threats.