GCP Employee Data Exposure Remediation

Learn how to fix employee data exposures in Google Cloud Platform environments. Follow step-by-step guidance for GDPR compliance.

data exposure

GDPR

gcp

Why It Matters

The core goal is to rapidly remediate exposed employee information across your Google Cloud Platform environment, addressing security gaps before they escalate into regulatory violations or data breaches. Fixing employee data exposures in GCP is critical for organizations subject to GDPR, as it directly impacts your ability to protect personal data and avoid substantial penalties.

Primary Risk: Data exposure leading to regulatory violations

Relevant Regulation: GDPR General Data Protection Regulation

Swift remediation ensures compliance with data protection requirements while maintaining operational continuity and stakeholder trust.

Prerequisites

Permissions & Roles

  • Security Admin or Organization Policy Administrator
  • IAM Admin for role modifications
  • Cloud Storage Admin for bucket remediation

External Tools

  • Google Cloud SDK (gcloud CLI)
  • Cyera DSPM account
  • Security Command Center access

Prior Setup

  • GCP project with billing enabled
  • Security Command Center activated
  • API credentials configured
  • Baseline security policies defined

Introducing Cyera

Cyera is a modern Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) platform that discovers, classifies, and continuously monitors your sensitive data across cloud services. By leveraging advanced AI and machine learning models including Named Entity Recognition (NER), Cyera automatically identifies exposed employee data in GCP resources and provides intelligent remediation recommendations to ensure GDPR compliance and minimize exposure risks.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Assess current exposure scope

Use Security Command Center and Cyera to identify all instances of exposed employee data across Cloud Storage, BigQuery, and Compute Engine. Review IAM policies for overly permissive access.

gcloud scc findings list --filter="category:EXPOSED_EMPLOYEE_DATA"

2
Implement immediate containment

Revoke public access permissions, remove overly broad IAM roles, and apply bucket-level security policies. Use Cloud Storage bucket locks for critical data requiring immutable protection.

3
Apply data classification and DLP policies

Configure Cloud Data Loss Prevention (DLP) to automatically detect and mask employee PII. Set up data classification rules in Cyera to maintain ongoing visibility and control.

4
Establish monitoring and alerting

Create Security Command Center custom findings and integrate with Cyera's real-time monitoring. Set up automated remediation workflows for future exposures and configure alert notifications.

Architecture & Workflow

Security Command Center

Central hub for security findings and posture management

Cloud DLP API

Detects and classifies sensitive employee information

Cyera AI Engine

Applies NER and ML models for intelligent remediation

IAM & Organization Policies

Enforces access controls and governance rules

Remediation Flow Summary

Identify Exposures → Contain Access → Apply DLP Policies → Monitor & Alert

Best Practices & Tips

Remediation Prioritization

  • Address publicly accessible resources first
  • Focus on high-sensitivity employee data
  • Prioritize by regulatory impact and risk score

Access Control Refinement

  • Implement principle of least privilege
  • Use condition-based IAM policies
  • Regular access reviews and role audits

Common Pitfalls

  • Overlooking legacy service accounts
  • Incomplete Cloud Storage bucket policies
  • Missing organization-level policy enforcement

References & Further Reading

Next Steps

🛡️ Prevent: Set up proactive employee data protection 🔍 Detect: Implement continuous employee data monitoring