Google Apps Password Sync (GAPS) is the password updating tool that works directly with Microsoft Active Directory. Recently, the Google team made several security updates to GAPS that improve the password changing process and increase the security that surrounds a password change.

The CRYPT hash function is now a part of the password update process. The addition of this function changes the process GAPS previously followed when facilitating a password update. When a user’s password is changed in Active Directory, GAPS uses the Directory API to update the password in Google Apps. GAPS is able to communicate this change through the use of the CRYPT hash function.

Additionally, GAPS now uses new OAuth2 endpoints to enable and recreate tokens. This change will be helpful to administrators wanting to blacklist specific content for their users, specifically when an admin wants to override DNS.

What else is new in GAPS?

• Improved feedback in the configuration UI
• Improved trace logging and Windows Event Log system messages
• Improved diagnostic logging for authorization issues

For more information on these GAPS updates, visit the support site.