Around six months ago, Google started beta testing ransomware detection in Google Drive. The security feature for the cloud storage platform also included a preview od file restoration. Now both features are rolling out to everyone.
The general availability of file restoration and ransomware detection is a step forward in not only security protection, but also in limiting the impact that malware can have should it slip through the net.
With an immediate roll out to all users – the tier does not matter – every Google Drive user will benefit from ransomware detection with immediate effect. Google also says that file restoration is available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts.
Announcing the new features, Google says:
In September 2025, we launched ransomware detection and file restoration in beta to help organizations minimize the impact of malware attacks on personal computers. Today, we’re excited to share these two features are generally available with significant improvements in malware detection.
Compared to when the feature was in beta, we are now able to detect even more types of ransomware encryption and are able to do it faster. Our latest AI model is detecting 14x more infections, leading to even more comprehensive protection.
Thousands of users have tested file restoration, demonstrating that it’s scalable and reliable.
Google shares a video showing off the power of ist new security features:
The company goes on to explain:
- Ransomware detection: When users have Google Drive for desktop installed on their computers, file syncing will be paused when ransomware is detected. The user will see a notification appear on their computer. Admins will see an alert in the Admin console security center; notification emails will be delivered to both users and admins.
- File restoration: Users are able to bulk restore their files to a previous version in Drive with ease, saving them time and money without paying a ransom. Users can select and restore multiple files prior to when ransomware infected their computer, making their files inaccessible.
While the rollout is immediate, some users may not see the features if they have not been enabled by admins. Google has a series of resources for getting started:
- Google Workspace Admin Help: Detect ransomware and recover files in Drive for desktop
- Google Help: Restore files in bulk with Google Drive
- Workspace Blog: Block ransomware proliferation and easily restore files with AI in Google Drive
- Google Workspace Updates Blog: Ransomware detection and file restoration for Google Drive available in beta
