Google Drive

Updated information on file sharing in Google Drive

Google Drive is a cloud storage service, and like any cloud storage service, its main purpose is to expand your ability to store files, 

It is no longer possible to share files and documents anonymously via “anyone with the link” in Google Drive. Instead, the only permissible ways to share files and folders will be with specific individuals or groups of individuals within the university's network or with known external Google or non Google account holders.

A guide on using student groups can be found here Dcu Student class mail lists

This change is a proactive measure to align our data security practices with the latest industry standards and to ensure compliance with privacy regulations. By limiting sharing to known individuals or pre-defined groups, we can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorised access to sensitive university information.


Staff Announcement - Google Drive Storage

ISS is undertaking a significant project to reduce the volume of data stored on the Google Workspace platform. There are a number of reasons why this is necessary;

  1. The Google licensing model has changed, and they no longer offer unlimited free storage to education.
  2. GDPR requires us to justify the storage of all personal data
  3. Reducing the volume of data will help improve the University’s data management practices

 

Please Note: 

Every unit needs to assess and agree on its data retention requirements. Your unit might already have rules about how to handle records, or a Personal Data Security Schedule (PDSS), which you should consider. 

If you're unsure about how long to keep certain types of records, your unit can put in place a data retention schedule that specifies how long each type of document needs to be kept based on your team's needs and the usual practices for your type of work.  Please visit  DCU Data Protection Unit (DPU) website .



Going forward, a quota of 200GB will apply to all staff Google Workspace accounts, including Gmail and Google Drive. Based on current figures, 200+ DCU Staff Google accounts exceed this limit.



To check your current usage - Open Google Drive and click on ‘Storage’ at the bottom left column.



We request that each staff member conduct a comprehensive review of their stored data to identify and remove any unnecessary files or documents. This includes your personal account (e.g. Joe.Bloggs@dcu.ie) and any generic accounts you are responsible for (e.g. unit.support@dcu.ie).