Some Google Drive users may be familiar with the various forms of attacks distributed through the platform, including lure phishing and ransomware attacks.
To help users stay aware of potentially dangerous files, Google has introduced a new security feature to its Drive service.
Google Drive will now start showing a warning banner when a user is about to download and open any potentially dubious document, image or file type.
This new feature is rolling out across all tiers of Google Workspace, G Suite Basic, and G Suite Business.
A yellow banner will appear at the top of the attachment page after the user clicks on the link. This banner will appear before the file is downloaded to the laptop and will provide a warning message to the user that the file looks suspicious and may be used to steal the user's personal information.
Users will also get the security warning if they have used Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings.
At Google Cloud Next 2021, the search giant announced new steps to help protect users from malicious files. This warning was rolled out to the file sync service late last year.
This feature is especially useful if you use Google Drive a lot, which isn't completely safe from abusive behavior, like most other file hosting platforms.
In 2020, hackers were seen exploiting Drive to send emails and push notifications through Drive. The messages seem legitimate at first glance, but they redirect the recipient to a malicious website.
This security feature will be gradually available over the next few weeks to all users globally.
