New Delhi, Oct 4 (UNI) Google Drive for Desktop is adding AI-powered ransomware detection to automatically stop file syncing and allow users to easily restore files in a few clicks, an official blog said.
‘AI-powered ransomware detection’ uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to proactively identify and neutralise ransomware threats by analysing file behaviour, network activity, and other system activity.
“What we’re announcing today is an entirely new layer of defence. While AV solutions continue their work to stop ransomware from getting in, we’ve built the protections to stop it from being effective once it is, inevitably, through the door,” it said.
The AI-powered detection in Drive for Desktop identifies the core signature of a ransomware attack – an attempt to encrypt or corrupt files en masse – and rapidly intervenes to put a bubble around a user’s files by stopping file syncing to the cloud before the ransomware can spread, the blog added.
It will help to stop ransomware from corrupting important files and making them unusable. Moreover, this in-built detection technology in Drive, Gmail, and Chrome hampers the spreading of ransomware.
This type of defence technology against viruses will help organisations of different industries, including healthcare, retail, education, and government.
Highlighting the other functionalities, the blog said, “Drive for Desktop, available on Windows and macOS, is used to efficiently and securely sync user files and documents to the cloud. It can also be used as a critical line of defence against malware and ransomware attacks. With that in mind, we have built a specialised AI model, trained on millions of real-world ransomware samples, to look for signals that a file has been maliciously modified.”
This detection engine adapts to novel ransomware by continuously analysing file changes and incorporating new threat intelligence from VirusTotal. It works simply: when Drive detects unusual activity that suggests a ransomware attack, it automatically pauses syncing of affected files.
This helps to prevent widespread data corruption across an organisation’s Drive and the disruption of work.
Moreover, users will also receive an alert on their desktop via mail, guiding them to restore their files. In contrast with traditional solutions that require complex reimagining or costly third-party tools, this new solution allows users to easily restore multiple files to a previous, healthy state with just a few clicks.
This rapid recovery process will minimise user disruption and data loss.
