At Cloud Sultans, our mission is to help small and large businesses to better collaborate and achieve high productivity with their teams by maximizing the power of Google Workspace (formerly GSuite).
If you’re a Google Workspace administrator, you’ve likely faced moments where security takes center stage—like stopping a confidential email, reversing a file-sharing mistake, or reviewing unusual activity. Luckily, you don’t need to rely on scripts or APIs anymore. With the Google Workspace Security Investigation Tool, you can take powerful admin actions in just a few clicks.
In this guide, we’ll break down 7 powerful ways to master this tool, helping you secure your organization with confidence, speed, and precision.
1. Understand What the Investigation Tool Can Really Do
The Google Workspace Investigation Tool is a feature exclusive to Enterprise editions. It gives admins the ability to search user activity across Gmail, Google Drive, and other apps using audit logs—then take direct actions like deleting an email or unsharing a file, all from a single dashboard.
No need for GAM, APIs, or complex command lines. It’s all point-and-click—and it’s fast.
2. Know Who Can Access It (And Why It Matters)
Only super admins or delegated admins with explicit permissions can use the Investigation Tool. This isn’t just about convenience—it’s about access to sensitive user data like emails and private files.
This means:
- Always assign access responsibly
- Keep an audit trail of actions
- And train your security admins before giving access
Google ensures accountability by requiring admins to justify access when viewing message content—everything is logged.
3. Find the Tool in the Right Place
You’ll find the Investigation Tool under:
Admin Console > Security > Security Center > Investigation Tool
But if you’re on a non-Enterprise plan, you won’t see it at all. This is one of those reasons why upgrading to Google Workspace Enterprise can make a significant difference in data governance and security control.
4. Instantly Revoke Access to Shared Files
Mistakenly shared files are a common security issue. With the Investigation Tool, you can:
- Search by Drive Log Events
- Filter using file titles or content indicators
- See file access events and sharing history
- Unshare, change ownership, or restrict downloads/printing
For example, a file titled “Secret Project” shared externally can be found, modified, and access revoked—all in seconds.
This eliminates the need to call IT or use third-party tools. The response is immediate, reducing exposure risk.
5. Delete Risky or Misrouted Emails
Another real-world scenario: an employee sends sensitive info via Gmail to the wrong recipient.
The steps are simple:
- Select Gmail messages as your data source
- Search by subject, body content, or sender
- Review message metadata and headers
- Delete, mark as spam, or restore with a single action
Google even adds a layer of accountability by asking you to type “DELETE” manually before executing. These thoughtful guardrails ensure you’re always acting intentionally.
6. Use Built-In VirusTotal Threat Intelligence
One powerful feature often overlooked is the integration with VirusTotal, a threat analysis service by Alphabet.
After identifying a suspicious attachment or URL:
- You can submit it to VirusTotal
- Receive detailed analysis of malware, IP reputation, domain risk
- Use it to prevent future attacks or identify compromised devices
Having threat intelligence integrated directly into your admin panel removes the guesswork from investigating security threats.
7. Go Pro with DLP Rule Integration
Want to take it even further? Combine the Investigation Tool with Google Workspace’s DLP (Data Loss Prevention) rules.
This allows you to:
- Automatically flag policy violations
- Link investigation cases directly to DLP triggers
- Act on threats faster and more consistently
With DLP, you can automate detection—then use the Investigation Tool to handle remediation in a centralized, auditable way.
This synergy is what makes the enterprise edition of Google Workspace a security powerhouse.
Real Use Cases in Action
In the demo shared by Teacher’s Tech, we saw two common but critical admin actions:
- Unsharing a sensitive Google Drive file titled “Secret Project”
- Deleting a Gmail message containing sensitive content
In both cases, the admin was able to:
- Identify the security issue via search
- View complete event logs and metadata
- Take direct action (unshare/delete)
- Leave an auditable trail for compliance
These workflows took minutes, not hours.
Best Practices for Using the Investigation Tool
- Restrict access to a limited number of trained admins
- Always log justifications when viewing content
- Combine with DLP rules for proactive detection
- Review the VirusTotal reports before taking action
- Regularly audit usage of the tool across your team
By following these guidelines, you’ll maximize the tool’s potential while maintaining trust and compliance.
Conclusion
Any questions, comments, or reactions about our article, we’re happy to hear that in the comment section below. We always love diving into healthy discussions. If you also feel that you haven’t been using Google Workspace at its best, reach us at (Cloud Sultans : contact@cloudsultans.com).
We offer free consultation or system audit to find you the best possible solution.
