According to Google, this certification required an audit process of several weeks that included some rigorous standards tests. What does that mean? It means that this is a highly developed set of auditing guidelines for companies that evaluate the internal controls of an IT infrastructure. That way, if there are adequate operational controls much risk in storing data within the cloud is mitigated.
This also bodes well for any third-part applications that you might be using with Google Apps. That's because Google App Engine, which powers the Google Apps Marketplace web applications was also a part of this certification process as well.
It's incredibly important to have a third party make sure that your data is safe. Rest assured that Google is making sure that they are leaders in cloud computing technology by setting the bar high, which is what the standard should be for utilizing a server-less environment.
Want to know more details? You can learn more about SSAE-16 from their official website. You can also check out our blog post on Google Apps security features. And don't forget to take a look at the 10 benefits to storing your data in the cloud.
How do you feel about Google's security practices?