Google Drive is among the top consumer cloud platforms on the web right now, which means we, as users, must demand a higher level of security and privacy from the search giant. We cannot trust Google to do this 100 percent, and it has much to do with the company’s need for user data.
Secure your files on Google Drive
So, the question right now is, how can we use Google Drive, but at the same time, keep our files as secure as possible? Well, the answer is simple, really. We must take advantage of third-party tools to secure our files before uploading them to the platform.
Yes, we do know that Google protects your files during the upload process, but it also decrypts them to analyze the files and then encrypts everything afterward. Additionally, we should point out that the user is never in control of the encryption keys, and that is never a good thing from our view.
- Boxcryptor
- Cryptomator
- RClone with Crypt
- Microsoft Word
- VeraCrypt
We will now discuss this in more detail.
1] Boxcryptor
We like what Boxcryptor has to offer due to its ease of use. When you install Boxcryptor, the tool will install a virtual drive on your computer, and from there, it will add cloud providers such as Google Drive to the drive. You see, the service is basically an extra layer of security on top of what is already offered.
It will encrypt every cloud file on the drive and others you upload in the future. The good news is, the tool offers AES-256 with RSA-4096 encryption security, and that’s nice.
Visit the official website. They have a free plan too.
2] Cryptomator
This is probably our favorite because it’s free and open-source. The source code has been analyzed multiple times, and the results have shown no backdoors. Furthermore, you do not have to register to use it.
We like the fact that Cryptomator uses transparent encryption. When this is in use, the user has no idea the files are being encrypted as they continue to act normally. In addition, the Cryptomator vault is saved on Google Drive.
While the vault lives on Google Drive, users are given a virtual hard drive to play around with their files. The tool also encrypts every file added to the vault individually. Now, while the program is free to use on Desktop, folks who want to make use of it on mobile must pay a small fee.
Visit the official website.
3] RClone with Crypt
Do you prefer to use a command-line program instead of one with a strong graphical user interface? Well, champ, you’re in the right place with Rclone. It will synchronize files and directories from Google Drive.
The best aspect of this tool, however, is the crypt function. It encrypts files on your computer before they are uploaded to Google Drive. Please watch the video below to understand how to do this.
Visit the official website.
4] Microsoft Word
One of the best options is Microsoft Word. Before uploading documents to Google Drive, you can decide to use the tool to encrypt the document first. Now, the encryption isn’t deep but rather a password lock.
Perform the task by navigating to File > Info > Protect Document > Encrypt with Password. After that, upload the document to Google Drive and that’s it.
Read: Make Google Drive automatically copy documents when shared with collaborators
5] VeraCrypt
There is no other free option on the list than VeraCrypt. The program is free and open-source, and it works with almost any cloud service provider, including Google Drive.
With this tool, the user can create an encrypted container and then upload the container to a cloud service of choice. We should also note that VeraCrypt is not user-friendly, but once you fully understand how things work, things should move smoothly.
Please note that you must always have VeraCrypt installed on your computer to continue accessing the container in Google Drive.
Download from the official website.
Read next: Google Drive files uploading is slow, stuck, or not working.
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