Google Workspace Security Audit for Japanese Data Privacy Compliance
How AirStars conducted a comprehensive data governance audit for a Tokyo recruiting agency using Python and Google APIs to achieve regulatory compliance
The Compliance Challenge
A rapidly growing Tokyo-based recruiting agency with more than 50 employees required a comprehensive Google Workspace audit to meet Japan's stringent data privacy regulations. The primary consulting contractor needed specialized technical expertise to conduct deep API-driven analysis of the organization's data governance practices.
AirStars was brought in as a technical specialist to provide Google API expertise and Python scripting capabilities, enabling comprehensive evaluation of document sharing patterns, user permissions, and compliance risks that traditional audit methods couldn't uncover.
Discovery: Hidden Risks Everywhere
Critical Issues Found
- • Accidental internal sharing due to training gaps
- • Interns accessing privileged recruitment data
- • Legacy users with persistent elevated permissions
- • Untracked document sharing across departments
- • Inconsistent access control policies
Compliance Risks
- • Personal data exposed to external parties
- • APPI (Japanese privacy law) violations
- • Recruitment data accessible to unauthorized staff
- • No audit trail for sensitive document access
- • Weak data retention and deletion policies
The scope was vast: analyze all Google Drive documents, evaluate sharing permissions, identify internal access patterns, and assess training needs across the entire organization. Most issues stemmed from well-intentioned staff lacking comprehensive Google Workspace training rather than intentional policy violations.
API-Driven Audit Solution
Technical Approach
Data Discovery
- • Google Drive API for document enumeration
- • Admin SDK for user and permission analysis
- • Python scripts for large-scale data processing
- • Custom reporting dashboards
Risk Assessment
- • External sharing pattern analysis
- • Permission inheritance mapping
- • Legacy user access evaluation
- • Document sensitivity classification
Working as a technical specialist within the broader audit engagement, AirStars developed comprehensive audit scripts to provide the primary contractor and client administrators with unprecedented visibility into their data landscape. This specialized API expertise enabled systematic identification of compliance risks while supporting the development of sustainable governance processes.
Cultural Change Through Technology
Phase 1: Discovery
Comprehensive audit of all Google Workspace data and permissions using API-driven analysis
Phase 2: Remediation
Systematic cleanup of permissions, external sharing controls, and legacy user management
Phase 3: Education
Staff training and administrative support to establish sustainable data governance practices
Multi-Month Transformation Process
The primary contractor recognized that sustainable compliance requires cultural change, not just technical fixes, and designed a phased approach supporting the client's administrators through months of gradual transformation. AirStars' technical contributions provided the data foundation necessary for this comprehensive change management process.
By delivering precise API-driven insights, AirStars enabled the broader team to focus on building internal capability and fostering better data handling practices, ensuring the organization could maintain compliance standards independently.
Technical Implementation
Core Components
- • Google Drive API for document analysis
- • Admin SDK for user management
- • Custom Python audit scripts
- • Automated reporting dashboards
Key Features
- • Large-scale permission analysis
- • External sharing violation detection
- • Legacy user identification
- • Compliance risk scoring
Building Sustainable Compliance
Immediate Actions
- • Comprehensive risk assessment delivered
- • External sharing violations identified
- • Priority remediation plan created
- • Administrator tools and training provided
Long-term Impact
- • Enhanced data governance culture
- • Sustainable compliance processes
- • Reduced regulatory risk exposure
- • Improved data handling awareness
Technical Expertise in Action
This engagement demonstrates AirStars' role as a specialized technical partner, providing deep API expertise to support broader compliance and governance initiatives.
By focusing on our core strengths—Google API integration and Python automation—we enable primary contractors and their clients to achieve comprehensive data governance outcomes that would be impossible with traditional audit approaches alone.
Need Technical API Expertise for Your Project?
Whether you're a consultant needing specialized Google API capabilities or an organization requiring deep technical analysis, AirStars provides the expertise to unlock comprehensive insights.