How to SECURE Your Google Workspace After an IT Admin Leaves

If the person who ‘did the computers’ has moved on, then they could also be walking away with full access to your Google Workspace—and every piece of business data inside it.

This quick, four-step audit strips ex-administrator privileges, cuts sneaky email forwarding rules, fixes billing settings, and locks down your domain so your business stays firmly in your hands.

Step 1: Strip Admin Privileges and Revoke Access

Start by revoking their administrator access, forcing an immediate logout across all devices and suspending their account.

• Log in at admin.google.com.
• From the left menu, navigate to Directory > Users.
• Click Add a filter, select Admin role, and choose Super Admin.
• If the ex-admin appears on the list, click their name and select Admin roles and privileges.
• Click Assigned next to Super Admin and move the slider to Unassigned (reassign primary administrator details to yourself if prompted).
• Check the secondary contact email on file. Change any unrecognized address to an email you own.
• Then click Security tab, select Reset password, and set a strong new password.
• Scroll down to Sign-in cookies and click Reset. This instantly logs them out of active sessions on all devices.
• Click Suspend user (or Manage user > Suspend user).

Important: Suspend the user account rather than deleting it straight away. Deleting an account prematurely can break logins attached to Google Ads, domain registrations, or critical third-party tools.

Step 2: Shut Down Hidden Email Redirection Rules

Ex-admins sometimes set up background routing rules to secretly copy incoming emails to their personal address.

• Go to Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail > Routing.
• Look at the Routing section for any mail redirection rules pointing to the former admin. Click and disable them.
• Scroll down to Email forwarding using recipient address map and disable any redirection rules linked to their address.

Step 3: Secure Your Billing and Security Settings

Prevent sudden service disruptions caused by outdated credit cards or unauthorised contacts.

• Go to Security > Security advisor > Email preferences and turn alerts ON to receive monthly security updates.
• Go to Billing > Payment accounts, then click Actions > View payment methods.
• Confirm the active card is a company card. If an ex-employee’s personal card was used, replace it immediately so they cannot cancel it and freeze your email service.
• Return to Payment accounts, click Actions > View payment settings > Manage payments users, and remove any unfamiliar email addresses.

Step 4: Lock Down Your Domain Registrar

Your Google Workspace setup relies entirely on your domain name.

• Log in to your domain registrar (e.g., VentraIP, Crazy Domains, GoDaddy).
• Update the account password, review administrative contact emails, and enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA).

Important: If an ex-administrator retains access to your domain provider, they can rewrite your DNS records and regain control of your Google Workspace, invalidating all the security changes you just made.

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