Google Drive adds proactive AI to stop ransomware

Google is rolling out an AI-powered defense for Drive on desktop that aims to spot ransomware behavior before it can spread across a user’s files. Instead of waiting for an infection to be obvious, the system looks for suspicious sync activity and intervenes to limit damage.

How the new protection works

According to reporting, the feature uses models trained on millions of real-world ransomware samples. When the models detect sync patterns that resemble encryption or mass modification by malware, Drive can pause syncing and prompt the user. That pause gives users a chance to inspect the activity and roll back to earlier, safer versions of affected files.

Why this matters now

Ransomware incidents have been rising: one recent count recorded over 5,000 attacks globally in 2024, a roughly 15% increase year over year. Attacks are no longer confined to a single sector—hospitals, schools and corporations are all targets—so improving resilience where data lives is increasingly critical. Because cloud storage is where a lot of important files are stored and synchronized, protecting cloud sync systems is a logical defensive priority.

AI in cybersecurity and wider industry moves

Google’s update is part of a broader push to integrate AI into security tooling. For example, financial institutions and regulators are also adopting AI to detect fraud and other threats. Recent contracts between central banks and AI firms underline how AI is being used to protect money and data alike.

At the same time, regulators are paying closer attention to how AI is deployed. In Brussels, talks around the EU’s AI Act are intensifying, with policymakers looking for stricter safeguards when AI is used in sensitive areas like finance and security. Ransomware prevention via AI sits squarely within those regulatory conversations.

What users should know

For everyday users, the most visible changes will likely be pauses in syncing and clearer rollback options if something looks off. The key questions will be whether the system can distinguish true threats from benign bulk changes and whether users will trust the automated interventions before they encounter a problem themselves.

A cautious but necessary step

Cloud storage used to feel like a quiet vault; now it’s the frontline. Adding adaptive AI that looks for unusual behavior rather than relying only on known signatures is a pragmatic response to increasingly sophisticated attackers. The real test will be adoption and trust—if users notice the protections working before disaster strikes, the approach could quickly become expected rather than optional.