5 Useful Tips on How to Protect and Secure Google Drive Files

G Suite tips and best practices to keep your organisation’s files in Google Drive secured and protected.

Google started and runs on the cloud. Google fully understand the security implications of powering your business in the cloud. G Suite run on the same infrastructure and your organisation will benefit from the protections Google built and use every day.

What is the difference between My Drive and Team Drives?

Team Drives (which will soon be renamed to "Shared Drives") is a shared space where teams can easily store, search, and access their files anywhere, from any device while My Drive is best for storing personal files or files that you want to share one-on-one.

Unlike files in My Drive, files in a Team Drives belong to the team instead of an individual. Even if members leave, the files stay exactly where they are so your team can continue to share information and get work done.

Aside from 2-Step Verification and Login Challenges here are a few tips to help you protect and secure your files in Drive.

1. Protect all files in a Team Drives

2. Restrict Actions in a file

3. Lock Down Google Drive Files

4. Prevent from re-sharing and changing access permissions

5. Track changes in a Team Drives

1. Protect all files in a Team Drives

1. On the left, click the Team Drive that contains the files you want to protect.

2. At the top, next to the Team Drive name, click the Down arrow > Team Drives settings.

3. Click Edit to set any of these permissions:

• Sharing files with people outside of your organisation

• Sharing files with people in your organisation who aren’t members of the Team Drive

• Allowing people with Commenter and Viewer access to download, copy or print files

4. After you choose an option, click Apply.

5. Click Done.

2. Restrict actions on a file

Prevent people from downloading, printing or copying a file

1. Click the file you want to protect.

2. At the top, click Share.

3. At the bottom, click Who Has Access.

4. Click More > check the Restrict download, print, & copy actions on this file for commenters and viewers box.

5. Click Done.

3. Track changes in a Team Drives

For the latest updates in a Team Drive, go to the Activity stream to see:

• Membership changes

• New or deleted files

• Changes to Team Drive settings

• Who changed files and when

See recent activity for a Team Drive:

1. Open Google Drive and on the left, select a Team Drive.

2. At the top right, click View details info.

3. Click Activity.

You can do these actions if you’re sharing a Google Drive file that you own

4. Lock Down Google Drive Files

Prevent commenters and viewers from downloading, printing, or copying files

1. In Drive, Docs, Sheets, or Slides, select a file that you own.

2. Choose an option:

• In Drive, at the top, click Share.

• In Docs, Sheets, or Slides, click Share.

3. At the bottom of the Share with others box, click Advanced.

4. Check the Disable options to download, print, and copy for commenters and viewers box.

5. Click Save changes.

6. Click Done.

When someone with Can comment or Can view access tries to download, print, or copy the shared file, those options are grayed out and not available.

5. Prevent editors from re-sharing and changing access permissions

1. In Drive, select a file or folder that you own.

2. At the top, click Share.

3. At the bottom, click Advanced.

4. Check the Prevent editors from changing access and adding new people box.

5. People with Can comment or Can view access already can’t add new people or change access permissions. Now people with Can edit access also can’t do these things either.

6. Click Save changes.

7. Click Done.

When someone with Can edit access tries to re-share a restricted file or folder, they get an option to email you for permission to share the file. You can decide whether to share the file. If you do, the user still can’t change access permissions. They’re grayed out and not available.

Nearly 63% of all data loss in Google Apps is user error. At the end of the day you’re ultimately responsible for what you upload, share to the Internet and how you protect it.

Let us know what you think about these security settings!

Tags:

#GoogleDrive #Drive #GoogleTools #Security #Protection #Settings #Free #Tips #Tricks #GSuiteTips #WorkfromAnywhere #LiftandShift #Cloud #Google #MyDrive #TeamDrive #Admin #Manager #Access

We want to help G Suite users do more with G Suite. We are providing a free resource of updates, quality tips and tricks for the G Suite Business and Education Communities.

SUBSCRIBE to receive more G Suite Tips and Tricks!