Cloud storage has become a widely used option for users to keep backup copies, host files and always have them available and also to share documents with other users. There are many options that we have at our disposal, although one of the most popular is Google Drive. Keep in mind the importance of always maintaining privacy and security when using this type of tool. Therefore in this article we will explain how to encrypt and protect the files that we upload to Google Drive .
Security in cloud storage
When uploading files to the cloud it is important that we take security into account. The first thing is that not all the services that we are going to use are going to be reliable. We may come across options that do not offer guarantees regarding security, which can filter our data and, ultimately, compromise privacy.
Therefore, it is important that we always choose a secure service when we go to store data in the cloud. This is something that is increasingly widespread both among private users and at the business level.
But even when using a secure service there may be some data breach, we can expose our account, there may be some vulnerability that exploits possible intruders. Therefore we always have the possibility to encrypt the files that we upload to the network and thus avoid problems.
Luckily we have different tools and options to encrypt files before uploading them to Google Drive . Thus, in case of any problem, our content would be protected against possible intruders who could access it.
How to encrypt and protect files on Google Drive
Boxcryptor
The first thing we can mention is that there are different external tools that we can use to encrypt files. One of them is Boxcryptor . It is a tool widely used by users and is also simple.
What this tool does is install a virtual drive on our computer and, from there, it will add cloud providers such as Google Drive to the drive. This service is basically an additional layer of security in addition to what is already offered. Its function is to encrypt each cloud file on the disk and others that we add in the future. One of the positive points is that the tool offers AES-256 with RSA-4096 encryption security.
We can download Boxcryptor on its official website and get all the information.
Cryptomator
Cryptomator is another option that we have available. It is an open source tool and totally free for desktop computers. It uses transparent encryption and allows you to join Google Drive. One more way to encrypt files for this popular cloud storage platform.
As in the previous case, the user has a virtual hard disk where he can save files. Each of those files that is stored in that space is encrypted individually. We can find all the information on its official website .
Encryption tools
There are many encryption tools that we can use. There are both free and paid and are available for different operating systems. The function of this type of tools is to add an encryption to any file that we want.
Those files, once we have encrypted them, we can upload them to Google Drive or any other cloud storage platform. It should be mentioned that there are also online platforms for document encryption.
In this sense we can name for example VeraCrypt , which is one of the most popular free tools. The goal is to be able to easily encrypt files. Another tool that we can also use is 7-Zip .
Text documents
Are we going to upload text documents, such as Word files, to Google Drive? These applications have their own options to encrypt documents. In this way we will be creating an extra layer of security in the event that the cloud storage platform may suffer some vulnerability and the data will be exposed.
In short, these are some options we have to encrypt files on Google Drive.
