To detect ransomware, there will soon be… the Google Drive app.
The feature will roll out in beta on desktop (Windows, Mac) starting mid-October. It will be accessible with the following Google Workspace subscriptions:
- Business Standard and Plus (not the Starter plan)
- Enterprise Starter, Standard and Plus
- Education Standard and Plus (not the Fundamentals plan)
- Frontline Standard and Plus (not the Starter plan)
The detection will occur at the moment files are synced to the cloud. A remote machine-learning model, trained on samples of ransomware, will search for traces of suspicious changes. If it detects any, it will block the synchronization and alert both the user (email + desktop notification) and the admin (email + alert in the Admin Console).
Therefore, it does not so much prevent infections as curb the spread. It acts as a second line of defense after antivirus software.
Admin features already rolling out
In addition, in beta, a bulk file restoration feature is also arriving. It is available on all Google Workspace subscriptions – including individual ones – as well as for personal Google accounts.
Having the latest Google Drive app version (currently v114) is required to enable the display of alerts.
The set will be enabled by default and configurable at the organizational-unit level. The deployment of the tools in the Admin Console began on September 30 for domains on fast-track rollout and for those on planned rollout.
