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GSuite / Google WorkspaceSlackUncategorized

Using Legacy Google Calendar Integration in Slack

Slack’s legacy Google Calendar integration is still much better than the “new” integration. So much so that Slack halted the sunsetting of the integration probably a year plus ago. Here is how you can STILL use the legacy integration.

First, Go to this page in Slack. This will take you directly to the integration in your own Slack tenant.

Next, open up the developer console in your browser by hitting the F12 button. Then, go to the console tab.

Enter this command and hit enter:

$('#calendar_id').removeAttr('class disabled data-lazy-filter-select')

This code will remove CSS/HTML on the page that disallows the dropdown options.

You will now be able to select a calendar on the left side of the page that you want to integrate. Select a channel on the right to post the calendar notifications.

For calendar settings, the recommended setting is under Calendar Summaries. This will post all the days events for the calendar to the selected channel. You can also simply post a notification for each calendar event. Whatever your cup of tea, that is it! You can still use the legacy integration. This is accurate as of January 2024.

GSuite / Google Workspace

Locate Owner of Google Drive File

I ran into a fun problem today that let me put on my detective hat.

The hat I wear when problem-solving

It began like any other request – straightforward and seemingly innocuous. “I can’t access this person’s file, can you help?”

Unfortunately it turned out that the supposed owner DIDN’T own the Google Drive file – a spreadsheet. Google has a few tips for locating the owner of a document – requesting ownership and then checking email logs and checking Google Drive logs. Unfortunately, neither worked! Drive logs require that the file be accessed or viewed within the last 180 days and the email log check did not work. Most likely because the owner no longer had a Mail license.

Without the owner information I fired up GAM and was hitting a wall until I thought of something. I asked and poked around and found the name of someone with access to the file. Using their name as the basis to check ownership / permissions, I got a full list! From there, I located the owner’s name.

Basically, I was unable to find the owner, but with the knowledge of at least one person with access, I was able to locate the owner that way using a GAM command along the lines of gam user X show drivefileacl Y – that did it!

GSuite / Google Workspace

Deleting Emails from Gmail or G Suite Mailboxes

Since being thrust into using GSuite / Google Workspace, I found the GAM tool on Github incredibly valuable.

We recently have a spear-phishing attack sent to a number of users in finance pretending to be the CFO. I was able to test and then remove all the emails from users mailboxes by using the following command:

gam all users delete threads query from:[xyz]@gmail.com doit

You can read more on the command here.

GSuite / Google WorkspaceSystem Administrator

Allow External Senders to Email Google Group

I encountered this one recently. Google doesn’t make it simple (or clear) how to allow external people to send emails to a Google Group (which most people use as the equivalent of a distribution list / Office365 group).

In Google Admin, navigate to the Google Group and check off “Allow” (a checkmark) where Publish Posts and External intersect (seen below with the number 1 in red)

That’s it! External users will now be able to email the group.