Khaberni - Google announced new security enhancements for its cloud storage service "Google Drive", aimed at combating ransomware attacks, in a step reflecting the escalation of cyber threats targeting users globally.
As revealed by the company on the Google Workspace blog, AI-powered ransomware attack detection tools, along with file recovery features, have officially moved out of the beta phase and have begun being rolled out widely, according to a report published by "phonearena".
Stop syncing to protect files
The new feature relies on monitoring any suspicious activity indicating an attempt to encrypt files, which is the primary method used by ransomware to extort victims.
Upon detecting an attack, the system automatically stops file synchronisation, preventing the replacement of clean copies in the cloud with encrypted ones.
Users and system administrators are immediately alerted, providing them the opportunity to intervene before the damage worsens.
Significant improvement in detection accuracy
Google confirmed that the new AI model is now capable of detecting ransomware attacks with up to 14 times greater efficiency compared to the beta version, and it can handle multiple types of encryption methods faster.
Regarding data recovery, users can now restore a large number of files all at once to their pre-attack state, instead of restoring them individually.
A critical feature blocked from free users
Despite the importance of these updates, the early attack detection feature remains available only to subscribers of business and enterprise plans in Google Workspace, while free user accounts are limited to the file recovery feature after an attack has occurred.
This means that ordinary users may not receive any prior warning, reducing the effectiveness of the protection and making the response relatively delayed.
Questions about the comprehensiveness of protection
This step raises questions about why detection tools are not available to all users, especially with the increasing reliance on cloud storage to save personal and professional files.
Though the decision to make file recovery available to everyone is praised, observers believe that real protection lies in preventing the attack before it happens, not just dealing with its consequences.
These updates come as part of broader efforts by "Google" to enhance the security of its products, at a time when the risks of digital attacks are increasing, making data security a top priority for both individuals and companies alike.
