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googleworkspace

Internal file sharing in Chat is set to no files

chat_internal_file_sharing_disabled
Service: chatSeverity: low
OfficialBuilt-inVerified
Categories:trust-boundaries
Resource Type:NotDefined

Google Chat internal file sharing controls whether users can share files with other people inside the organization via Chat conversations. Organizations in regulated industries may need to control and audit all file sharing, even between internal users.

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Risk

Unrestricted internal file sharing in Chat allows files with sensitive information to be distributed freely without passing through approved channels. This undermines data governance and audit trail requirements, making it harder to track data movement within the organization.

Run this check with Prowler

Run in Prowler Cloud
Run
prowler googleworkspace --checks chat_internal_file_sharing_disabled

Recommendation

Disable internal file sharing in Chat to enforce file distribution through approved channels with proper audit trails and governance controls.

Remediation

Other

1Sign in to the Google **Admin console** at https://admin.google.com
2Navigate to **Apps** > **Google Workspace** > **Google Chat and classic Hangouts**
3Click **Chat File Sharing**
4Under Setting, set **Internal filesharing** to **No files**
5Click **Save**

Check Code

from typing import List

from prowler.lib.check.models import Check, CheckReportGoogleWorkspace
from prowler.providers.googleworkspace.services.chat.chat_client import chat_client


class chat_internal_file_sharing_disabled(Check):
    """Check that internal file sharing in Google Chat is disabled.

    This check verifies that the domain-level Chat policy prevents users
    from sharing files internally via Chat, providing maximum control over
    file distribution within the organization.
    """

    def execute(self) -> List[CheckReportGoogleWorkspace]:
        findings = []

        if chat_client.policies_fetched:
            report = CheckReportGoogleWorkspace(
                metadata=self.metadata(),
                resource=chat_client.policies,
                resource_id="chatPolicies",
                resource_name="Chat Policies",
                customer_id=chat_client.provider.identity.customer_id,
            )

            internal_sharing = chat_client.policies.internal_file_sharing

            if internal_sharing == "NO_FILES":
                report.status = "PASS"
                report.status_extended = (
                    f"Internal file sharing in Chat is disabled "
                    f"in domain {chat_client.provider.identity.domain}."
                )
            else:
                report.status = "FAIL"
                if internal_sharing is None:
                    report.status_extended = (
                        f"Internal file sharing in Chat is not explicitly configured "
                        f"in domain {chat_client.provider.identity.domain}. "
                        f"Internal file sharing should be set to No files."
                    )
                else:
                    report.status_extended = (
                        f"Internal file sharing in Chat is set to {internal_sharing} "
                        f"in domain {chat_client.provider.identity.domain}. "
                        f"Internal file sharing should be set to No files."
                    )

            findings.append(report)

        return findings

References