Google Drive for Desktop Adds AI to Spot Ransomware Attacks

Key Takeaways

• AI ransomware defense in Drive for Desktop - Detects mass encryption/corruption, automatically pauses sync to prevent spread, and alerts users.
• One-click recovery - Quickly restore Docs, Sheets, Slides, PDFs, and more to a healthy state after removing the infection.
• Wide, default rollout - Open beta; free for most Workspace plans; enabled by default (admins can disable); requires Drive for Desktop v114+.
• Privacy + intel - Google says customer data isn't used to train AI without permission; detection leverages VirusTotal and aims to cut downtime amid rising attacks.

Google Drive for Desktop users can now restore their important data if they fall victim to a ransomware attack.

According to the recent Google Workspace update, your Drive for Desktop will now feature AI-powered ransomware detection, which will halt syncing if it detects a ransomware attack.

As a result, ransomware won't affect your documents saved in Google Drive or in Drive for Desktop on another device. Once you've removed the infection, you can easily restore files on the compromised computer from your unaffected Google Drive.

This helpful feature comes at a crucial time, as ransomware incidents are increasing rapidly.

The Rise of Ransomware

Ransomware groups are on the rise. The Searchlight Cyber report revealed that there were 73 ransomware groups in the first half of 2024, representing a 56% increase from the 46 groups identified in the first half of 2023.

As more ransomware groups appear, it's no surprise that attacks are happening more often. The data clearly shows this upward trend.

According to the Ransomware Impact report, which surveyed 386 IT professionals, 24% of organizations experienced a ransomware attack in 2025. This marks a significant rise from 2024, when only 18.6% of incidents were reported.

Contributing to this trend, BlackFog, a leading security firm, also reported a record-breaking number of ransomware attacks in the first quarter of 2025. The company actually saw a 45% increase in ransomware attacks compared to Q1 2024.

With the rapid increase in ransomware attacks, the expenses for mitigation and damage control have also grown. Global ransomware damage costs have risen to $57 billion annually this year, up from $20 billion in 2021, according to an estimate from Cybersecurity Ventures.

As ransomware attacks grow and become more damaging, Google's latest Drive for Desktop update is designed to offer users quicker recovery and enhanced protection. Let's see how.

How Drive for Desktop Ransomware Detection Works

The new ransomware detection feature in Drive for Desktop uses AI trained on millions of real-world ransomware samples to identify key ransomware signatures. This includes detecting a large volume of encrypted or corrupted files.

Now, you may wonder how this feature can catch a novel ransomware attack that uses new techniques to evade detection, especially if the AI model hasn't been trained on that strain.

To address this challenge, the ransomware detection engine has integrated threat intelligence from VirusTotal, a prominent online malware scanner.

If there's a sign of a ransomware attack, it will automatically stop syncing affected files in your Drive for Desktop. This helps prevent ransomware from spreading within an organization's drive. This layered approach ensures not just early detection, but also quick recovery options for users.

Furthermore, you'll receive an alert on your desktop and via email, with details on how to restore files. Google Drive allows you to restore multiple files to their previous healthy state in just a few clicks.

The ransomware protection feature supports multiple file formats, including Sheets, Docs, PDFs, Slides, and more. It is rolling out in an open beta.

As part of this rollout, most Google Workspace commercial plans will receive the ransomware detection, alerting, and restoration feature at no additional cost. If you're a standard Drive for Desktop user, you get file restoration capability at no cost.

What's more, the ransomware detection and file restoration features will be toggled on for Workspace users by default. The admin will have the right to turn them off. You'll need to install the latest version of Drive for Desktop (v.114 or later) to enable detection alerts.

In case you're concerned that Google Drive for Desktop might use your data to train its AI for ransomware detection, Google has assured that it does not.

Its official blog reads:

Google does not use customer data, including prompts and generated outputs, for advertising purposes or to train or fine-tune any of its generative AI models without customer permission or instruction.

Google isn't alone in tackling ransomware. Other cloud providers, such as OneDrive and Dropbox, also offer a ransomware protection feature similar to Drive for Desktop.

Impact and Industry Reactions

Ransomware attacks are not only increasing but also growing more dangerous each year.

With Google Workspace having more than 3 billion users, ransomware detection in Drive for Desktop is a significant step forward in enhancing data security.

Essentially, it provides Drive for Desktop users with a built-in safety layer against one of today's most disruptive cyber threats.

Industry experts see this as a timely move. Security analysts highlight that while the feature won't eliminate ransomware infections themselves, it can dramatically reduce downtime and data loss.

Bob O'Donnell, President and Chief Analyst, TECHnalysis Research, said in a prepared statement,

By seamlessly integrating AI-powered ransomware detection and restore capabilities into Drive, Google is helping organizations with an innovative way to avoid an increasingly common and increasingly dangerous threat while also giving end users the ability to continue working...

Google's update makes Drive for Desktop more than just a storage solution. It's now an active defense against the rising tide of ransomware.

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