Security Command Center is Google’s central security platform for threat detection, risk assessment, and compliance monitoring on Google Cloud.
What is Google Cloud Security Command Center?
Security Command Center (SCC) is Google Cloud’s unified security platform that aggregates all security-relevant information in a central dashboard. The service automatically inventories all cloud assets, detects misconfigurations and vulnerabilities, detects threats in real-time, and supports compliance requirements such as CIS Benchmarks, PCI DSS, or ISO 27001.
SCC collects findings from various integrated services: Security Health Analytics scans for misconfigurations, Event Threat Detection analyzes Cloud Audit Logs for suspicious activities, Container Threat Detection monitors GKE workloads for runtime anomalies, and Web Security Scanner checks web applications for vulnerabilities. All findings are displayed with severity, affected assets, and remediation recommendations.
The platform offers two tiers: Standard is free and includes asset inventory plus basic scans. Premium adds Event Threat Detection, Container Threat Detection, extended detectors, and compliance reports. Premium is recommended for production workloads with security requirements.
Common Use Cases
Central Security Overview for Organizations
A company with multiple Google Cloud projects uses SCC for a unified security view. The dashboard shows all assets, open findings, and risk assessments across projects. Security teams prioritize actions based on severity, with automatic notifications for critical findings.
Real-Time Threat Detection
A FinTech company activates Event Threat Detection for all projects. The service detects cryptomining attempts, unusual API access, and suspicious IAM activities in real-time. Findings are forwarded via Pub/Sub to the SIEM, security analysts respond within minutes.
Compliance Monitoring for Regulated Industries
A healthcare company uses SCC Premium for continuous compliance monitoring. Automatic scans verify adherence to HIPAA requirements, CIS Benchmarks, and internal policies. Compliance reports document security status for audits, deviations are reported immediately.
Container Security for GKE Workloads
A SaaS provider monitors GKE clusters with Container Threat Detection. The service detects runtime anomalies like unexpected processes, privilege escalation attempts, or suspicious network connections. Integration with Binary Authorization prevents deployment of insecure images.
Vulnerability Management Workflow
A DevSecOps team integrates SCC into the development process. Security Health Analytics automatically scans new deployments, findings are created as tickets in Jira. Developers fix vulnerabilities before production release, SCC verifies the remediation.
Integration with innFactory
As a Google Cloud partner, innFactory supports you with Security Command Center: implementation, SIEM integration, compliance monitoring, alert management, and security architecture.
Contact us for a consultation on Security Command Center and Google Cloud security.
Available Tiers & Options
Standard
- Free included
- Asset inventory
- Basic Security Health Analytics
- No threat detection
- Limited detectors
Premium
- Event Threat Detection
- Container Threat Detection
- Compliance monitoring
- All detectors active
- Cost per asset
Typical Use Cases
Technical Specifications
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Google Cloud Security Command Center?
Security Command Center (SCC) is Google's central security platform for Google Cloud. The service provides a unified view of all assets, automatically detects threats and misconfigurations, and supports compliance requirements. SCC aggregates findings from various sources in one dashboard.
What is the difference between Standard and Premium?
Standard is free and provides asset inventory plus basic Security Health Analytics. Premium adds Event Threat Detection, Container Threat Detection, Web Security Scanner, and extended compliance monitoring. Premium is recommended for production environments with security requirements.
What threats does Security Command Center detect?
SCC Premium detects malware communication, cryptomining, unusual API calls, suspicious IAM activities, and container threats. Event Threat Detection analyzes Cloud Audit Logs in real-time, Container Threat Detection monitors GKE workloads for runtime anomalies.
How does SCC integrate with SIEM systems?
SCC exports findings via Pub/Sub for real-time integration or BigQuery for batch analysis. Native integrations exist for Splunk, Chronicle, Sentinel, and other SIEM solutions. The Security Command Center API enables custom integrations.
Is Security Command Center GDPR-compliant?
Yes, Security Command Center is available in EU regions and processes data according to GDPR requirements. Google Cloud offers Data Processing Agreements and comprehensive compliance certifications. Findings can be restricted to EU regions.
How is Security Command Center billed?
Standard is included for free. Premium charges based on the number of monitored assets (VMs, containers, databases). Prices vary by asset type. Contact Google Cloud for enterprise pricing.
