How to Get and Configure Barracuda Chromebook Security for BCS

With Barracuda Chromebook Security for BCS installed on Chromebooks, users and groups are identified and policies you create in BCS are applied based on the users/groups, whether they are inside your network or accessing the Internet from a public or private network. For example, this feature provides security for students, even when they take their Chromebooks home. User generated traffic is logged and recorded for reporting purposes, providing administrators insight into all user activity.

Note that the extension applies all BCS block/allow policies for Chromebook users.

Barracuda Chromebook Security for BCS is available from the Chrome Web Store at no cost, and is configured in the Google Admin console. Follow the instructions below to get and configure the Barracuda Chromebook Security for BCS.

How Barracuda Chromebook Security for BCS Works

When installed on a Chromebook, Barracuda Chromebook Security for BCS queries BCS for block/accept policies and applies them to all Chromebook web traffic.

Chromebook web traffic is not displayed immediately on the Web Logs page in BCS – it may take a few minutes for the log data to display. If BCS cannot be reached, and if the user already has Barracuda Chromebook Security for BCS installed, web traffic from that device will continue to be filtered based on the policies that were downloaded by the extension before BCS became unavailable. In this scenario, the web logs are stored on the Chromebook and are displayed when BCS is reachable again.

How to Download and Use Barracuda Chromebook Security for BCS

Step 1. Synchronize your Chromebook users and groups with Barracuda Cloud Control (BCC).

If you haven't already done so, use your BCC account to synchronize with your Chromebook users and groups that you provisioned in Google Directory Services (GDS). This enables BCS to lookup users and groups in BCC and apply policies accordingly. See How to Configure Google Directory Services with Barracuda Content Shield.

Step 2. Download and Prepare Barracuda Chromebook Security for BCS.

1. In the Chrome Web Store, search on Barracuda for the extension. Download the extension.
2. Go to the DOWNLOADS page in BCS and click Chromebook Configuration File to download the key file bcs_chromebook.txt. You will upload this file to the Google Admin console in the next step to work with the extension. Save the key file in a safe place.

Step 3. Configure Barracuda Chromebook Security for BCS in the Google Admin console.

1. Log into Google Admin console as an administrator and click Devices.
2. Under Device Settings, click Chrome Management, and then click Apps & extensions.
3. Click on Barracuda Chromebook Security for BCS on the Apps & extensions page to configure the extension.
4. In the Barracuda Chromebook Security for BCS configuration window, under Policy for extensions, click the upload icon as shown below. In the popup, browse for and select the bcs_chromebook.txt  key file you downloaded from the DOWNLOADS page in BCS.
   
   
   
   
5. On the Barracuda Chromebook Security for BCS entry on the page, select the setting Force install + Pin, as shown below, from the Installation Policy drop-down. This ensures that Barracuda Chromebook Security for BCS is automatically installed on the Chromebook, if it isn't already, when the device is powered up. Additionally, users can’t remove extensions that are force-installed. Click SAVE in the upper right of the page.   
   
    
      
      
   The blue extension icon labeled BCS appears in the Chrome browser and the extension now synchronizes user and group-specific policies from BCS with each user's Chromebook.
   

How to Update Barracuda Chromebook Security for BCS

When there is a new version of the extension available, the user must log out of the Chromebook and log in again to get the latest version. Any time the user logs in, the latest version of the extension is in place.