Your Google Workspace security score is a numerical representation of your organization's security posture. It measures how well your domain follows security best practices across user accounts, admin configurations, and data protection settings. Understanding and improving this score is one of the most impactful things an IT administrator can do.
What Makes Up Your Security Score
The security score is calculated across several dimensions, each contributing a weighted portion to your overall rating:
- 2-Step Verification (2SV) adoption — the percentage of users who have enrolled in MFA, weighted heavily because it prevents the vast majority of account takeover attacks
- Password strength policies — whether you enforce minimum password length, complexity, and regular rotation
- Admin account security — super admins with 2SV enabled, hardware security keys, and limited number of super admins
- OAuth app exposure — number of third-party apps with access to user data, and whether you've reviewed and approved them
- Data Loss Prevention (DLP) — rules preventing sensitive data from leaving the organization via email or Drive
- Mobile device management — enforcement of device policies, screen locks, and encryption requirements
How to Improve Your Score
The most impactful improvements, ranked by typical score increase:
- Enforce 2SV for all users — this single action can increase your score by 20-30 points. Start with admins, then roll out to all users with a grace period
- Reduce super admin count — limit super admin accounts to 2-3 people. Use delegated admin roles with least-privilege access for everyone else
- Audit OAuth apps — review all third-party apps with access to your domain data. Block unused or suspicious apps
- Enable advanced device management — require screen locks, encryption, and the ability to remote wipe lost devices
- Set strong password policies — minimum 12 characters, prevent password reuse, and enable password alerts
Monitoring Score Changes
Your security score isn't static — it changes as users join, leave, or modify their account settings. WorkspaceForge's health monitoring dashboard tracks your score over time, alerting you when it drops below configured thresholds. This proactive approach catches security regressions before they become compliance violations.
Real-World Score Benchmarks
Based on industry data:
- Below 60% — critical risk; immediate action required on 2SV and admin security
- 60-80% — moderate risk; common for organizations that haven't enforced 2SV universally
- 80-95% — good posture; typically organizations with enforced 2SV and basic DLP
- 95%+ — excellent; full 2SV enforcement, limited admin accounts, reviewed OAuth apps, and active DLP rules
Frequently Asked Questions
How often does the security score update?
WorkspaceForge recalculates your security score daily and provides trend data over time. Scores reflect the current state of user 2SV enrollment, admin configurations, and policy settings.
Can I see which users are lowering my security score?
Yes. WorkspaceForge shows which users haven't enrolled in 2SV, have weak passwords, or have risky OAuth app authorizations, letting you target remediation efforts.
What's a realistic target score for my organization?
Aim for 90%+ as a first milestone. Achieving 100% typically requires enforced 2SV for all users, which may need a phased rollout for larger organizations.