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Google Drive Access Issue with SmartPAC - Troubleshooting and Workaround

Overview:

We have identified an issue where users are unable to access Google Drive when using Securly SmartPAC. This problem occurs due to a failure to broker the request properly, preventing the correct identification of the user and applying a restrictive global policy. Below, we provide steps to reproduce the issue, an explanation of why it occurs, and a workaround that can resolve the problem.

Technical Explanation:

When attempting to access drive.google.com, the request is sent through Securly’s proxy, but the SmartPAC fails to set the necessary authentication cookie. As a result, the request is treated as if it comes from an unidentified user, leading to the application of a global restrictive policy that blocks access to Google Drive.

Why This Happens:

The issue stems from a failure in brokering requests to drive.google.com. When a personal Google account is used, SmartPAC does not successfully identify the user, which results in the failure to set the necessary Securly authentication cookie. Without this cookie, the request is treated as unauthenticated, and restrictions are applied.

Workaround to Resolve the Issue:

To bypass this problem, you can follow these steps:

Visit mail.google.com and sign in with a personal Google account.
Then, visit google.com and perform a search.
- This action will force SmartPAC to broker the request and set the Securly authentication cookie.
Finally, go to drive.google.com, and the access should work correctly.

Additional Information:

This workaround ensures that SmartPAC brokers the request properly by forcing user identification through Google’s search service. After brokering the request from google.com, the authentication cookie is set, and the user can access Google Drive without restrictions.

If you continue to experience this issue or require further assistance, please contact Securly Support.

Conclusion:

We are investigating the root cause of this issue and will work on a permanent fix. In the meantime, the steps outlined above can be used as a workaround to ensure proper access to Google Drive when using SmartPAC.

For any further issues or troubleshooting needs, feel free to reach out to our support team at support@securly.com.