Can we make meaningful progress on a defence audit in 30 days without leaving Google Workspace?

First, get the exact framework, assessment scope and contract requirements in front of whoever owns the business risk. A month is enough to make progress with 30 users, but not a safe basis for promising a pass. Some requirements may call for evidence of controls operating over time, and the consequences of a failed assessment depend on the contract and assessment type.

Make a gap register that maps each requirement to its current state, evidence, owner and target date. Get management to approve the budget and priorities now. Bring in someone experienced with the specific framework to review the plan and any self-attestation before it is signed. Don't describe a planned control as one that is already operating.

Entra and Intune are a reasonable option to evaluate for the Windows fleet without migrating email. Check the required licenses and how identity will be integrated with Google Workspace before buying. NinjaOne may help with endpoint operations, but map what it adds rather than assuming three products automatically cover the requirements.

Test the whole setup on a few devices first. Check enrollment, encryption and recovery key handling, patch reporting, local admin removal and device sign-in MFA against the actual requirement. Cloud account MFA is not automatically the same thing as MFA at the laptop login screen. Also verify Linux support control by control. Don't assume a Windows policy will cover those machines.

Start with an inventory of the laptops, their owners, operating systems and current security state. Then prioritize enforced MFA for accounts, full disk encryption with recoverable keys, patching, screen locks and a workable process to remove routine local admin rights.

Roll changes out in a pilot before enforcing them everywhere. You need a way to support legitimate software installs and recover locked-out users, especially on the Linux machines. Keep records showing which devices received each control and which exceptions are still open.

Don't let the endpoint project hide the rest of the scope. Map where regulated information and security logs are stored or processed, including Google Workspace, the NAS and any management or logging service. Then check the applicable hosting and provider requirements for each service.

There were different views on whether Google should stay, but a forced migration isn't the only question here. Verify whether the particular Google services and configuration meet the contract, and whether the logs you need remain available if you add another identity provider. The same due diligence applies to any proposed endpoint tool or government cloud environment.

For the network and logging gaps, avoid buying a pile of tools before you know what evidence and controls are required. Review access to the UniFi equipment and NAS, make sure their administrative access is restricted, and identify which events need collecting and protecting.

Network access control, removable media restrictions and isolated logging may need separate design and testing. Put them on the roadmap with owners and dependencies instead of assuming device management alone handles them.