Is Google drive secure
Introduction
Today we wanted to discuss how secure is Google drive. For those of you who would just like to skip to the end, the short answer is yes google Drive is secure. But, is it really as secure as you want it to be? So, today we will answer some of the questions that go through our minds in regards to Google’s security.
How safe is Google Drive?
We always wonder what is more secure, uploading our information to the cloud? or just leave it on our computers or phones? In the early days back when Google Drive was still a new thing, people definitely thought that Google Drive is not secure and it’s safer not to upload your data online. But, become more familiar with cloud-based solutions, we hear that less and less.
To answer the question, is it easier to steal my information if it’s uploaded to the cloud?
The short answer is No, it’s not easier.
Is Google Drive secure?
People are becoming more concerned with security, as they see things like ransomware attacks, or when they hear about major cyber attacks on the news. In most cases, these attacks are successful either because that the traditional device that has actually been compromised, or a traditional server that’s maybe old and wasn’t patched properly and has been compromised.
Cloud-based solutions are automatically kept up to date, and good security measures are put in place, as Google has nearly thousands of security engineers who are working around the clock to secure Google’s data centers, and spot vulnerabilities when they happen as quickly as possible and respond to them. So, it’s easy to say that any corporation no matter how large it is will have a hard time competing with Google’s security.
Is Google Drive encrypted?
Google encrypts your data within Google Drive, both at rest and in transit, so that they can make sure that your information remains secure, whether it’s moving between your computer and Google Drive, and when it’s actually in Google Drive itself.
Google Employees and our Data
We always hear, and some of us with large imaginations, think that Google employees have access to our data. And we ask ourselves, can’t they read my emails on my documents? Or doesn’t Google read my data to advertise to me? And the answer is “No” Google employees can’t access your data, They don’t read your documents or emails.
Google’s statement on this rumor, is that the data that any company, school, and government agencies put into google workspace does not belong to Google and whether it’s corporate, intellectual property, personal information, or homework assignments google does not own this data and it does not sell it to any third parties.
This is a privacy concern and not a security concern, but it is a concern that many people and organizations have. So, to put it simply, Google is compliant with all the ISO, SOC two and three PCI, GDPR, HIPPA EU model contract clauses.
Also, Google has its own access transparency report for enterprise customers, which is very valuable for large organizations or enterprise-level organizations that need that transparency.
Is Google Drive an easy target for Hacking?
We always wonder and ask ourselves, can someone easily hack or break into my Google account and access my google drive data?
The answer is a bit more complicated than a yes or no. If someone breaks into your account then it’s kind of your fault. Because it’s up to you, Google actually gives you all the information and tools you need to secure your own account. But, it’s up to you to actually make the account secure.
1st Step in protecting your data
The first step in protecting your data is an obvious one. But it’s really important to make sure that you have a secure password. Always make sure that it’s not one that you’ve already used on another cloud-based solution, your Facebook account, or your Twitter account. Because, if one of those accounts is compromised then the hacker will also have access to your Google account.
2nd Step in protecting your data
The next step is to have two-step verification; sometimes it’s also called 2fa two-factor authentication; basically, it’s two pieces of information to identify you, or to verify who you are.
3rd Step in protecting your data
Google Drive makes it easy to share your information, and that’s great, but you also have to consider who you’re sharing your files with. You may accidentally share your file via a link and make that link available online, or you may share it with a group of people or a person you didn’t intend to share it with.
So, always make sure to keep your sharing in check, and keep your google drive organized to make sure that you’re sharing it with the right people. If you’re a business or an organization, we would highly recommend that you use Google’s shared Drive, as it’s definitely the most secure way to share files and to keep control over them.
Device Security
Device security is a big deal for all of us; people can go to great lengths to secure their cloud-based accounts. And that’s great, but then if you leave your access turned on, on your devices, whether it’s your Drive, or your Gmail, or anything really, you leave that account active and your password isn’t secure enough; if your device is lost, you’re potentially giving away access to your information. So, it’s really important to think about device security because you’re only as strong as your weakest point.
Admin tools
There are a lot of administrator tools; we are not going to go through all of them here. But, there are a huge amount of administrator tools that add an extra level of security. And if you are an administrator, we may do a separate article for you, on google workspace security center on Enterprise Endpoint Management for Devices, that actually allows you to secure endpoints like devices, whether that’s a mobile phone, laptops, or desktops.
There is also context-aware access, which is a really interesting product that looks at the context of the device, the individual, and where they’re logging in from, whether it’s the IP address or the location. All of these contexts play into seeing; is this how Amreos normally logs in, is this how Yu or Avra normally log into their account? And if something seems off, the context will work and lockdown the access, or give limited access. It will only give access to certain parts of google’s workspace. So if someone is logging in from an unrecognized device, but they recognize the user and they have the 2fa, they can’t access google drive but they can get access to their email.
Data loss prevention, DLP
Data loss prevention or DLP is a big deal. It allows organizations to put in place security policies, to stop data from being lost from the organization. Also, you have things like drive sync restrictions, where you can actually stop end users from syncing data on their devices; things like Google vault for e-discovery, and much more.
Is Google Drive backup safe?
This is our Last bonus tip. We would definitely recommend having a backup of your data because you could do these things and still face loss. That may be because of some compromised device, or because of social engineering, which is where hackers attempt to get access to a system or a business based on individuals tricking people in the business. Things can still happen where you can get compromised. So, having a full backup of your data with multiple versions that you can go back on is really important.
Conclusion
To sum it up, Google Drive is one of the most secure ways for cloud storage. The level of security depends on the steps that you follow as a user to protect your data. In general, Google Drive is an absolutely amazing solution for users to depend on. Because of the reasons we mentioned in our article ” Is Google drive secure “. We all know that Google has a solid infrastructure that delivers high levels of security and efficiency.
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