Google Drive has some new tricks to help deal with ransomware

Cloud storage helps reduce the risk of losing your files, but threats like ransomware are still very much a thing. Having your files suddenly locked behind a bad actor’s paywall may sound like a horror story, but unfortunately, it’s not particularly rare. However, Google is trying to make that scenario a little less painful with new Drive protections that can spot suspicious activity and help you roll back changes.

According to a post on the Google Workspace Updates blog, Google’s ransomware detection and file restoration tools are now generally available after a period in beta. The company says it has significantly improved the AI system’s ability to spot malicious encryption in that time, even claiming its latest model can detect 14 times more infections than before. It’s hard for the layperson to put that in much perspective, but it certainly sounds impressive enough.

The feature is less about stopping ransomware outright and more about limiting the damage when something slips through your antivirus. If Drive for desktop detects suspicious activity, it will pause file syncing to prevent further spread and alert both you and your organization’s admin. From there, the new recovery tools let you roll files back in bulk to a point before the attack, which could save a lot of time — and potentially money — compared to dealing with it manually.

Not everyone will get the full benefit of these features. The file restoration side of things is widely available, including for your personal Google accounts, but ransomware detection is restricted to certain Google Workspace tiers, such as the Business and Enterprise plans. In other words, most people can clean up after an attack, but you’ll only get the early warning system if you’re on the right plan.

It’s not a silver bullet against ransomware, and Google isn’t pitching it as one, but it does add a handy layer of damage control that should reassure those who rely heavily on Drive.