How to Securely Upload Files to Google Drive

By 2020, six out of 10 businesses had migrated their data to cloud storage systems, and 81% of businesses had at least one application running in the cloud. Cloud storage systems help businesses and their employees store and access data. Authorized users can access these systems and their contents from various devices while working on or offsite.

When used in combination with other storage systems, such as portable storage devices, cloud storage systems are an intrinsic part of a comprehensive data backup and storage solution.

Google Drive’s 2 billion users make it a very popular cloud storage system. But while user-friendly, Google Drive does not offer enterprise-level security measures, such as the ability to encrypt a folder.

Organizations that handle sensitive data, especially large quantities, such as government agencies, healthcare organizations, and financial institutions, must therefore look to third-party providers for these extra levels of security.

In this article, you’ll learn more about what Google Drive is, how to upload files to this platform, as well as how to do so using a solution like WinZipⓇ Enterprise.

What Is Google Drive?

Google Drive is a cloud-based storage solution that enables users to store, synchronize, and share files. The service offers enhanced file-based collaboration by enabling users to customize who can view, comment, or edit shared files. The platform also lets users simultaneously access a single live document or file and view or edit it together in real-time.

Google Drive provides its own version of commonly used business tools such as spreadsheets, slide decks, and word documents. For example, Google Drive offers Google Docs, which is an alternative to Microsoft Word, Google Slides as a stand-in for PowerPoint, and Google Sheets, which is Google’s equivalent to Microsoft Excel.

To ensure that only authorized users have access to certain files, Google Drive offers custom sharing permissions. Administrators can customize viewing and sharing settings by group, department, user, and more. These customizable permissions ensure that the right people can access the necessary content for their job function without compromising data security.

With Google Drive, users can upload and save numerous file types including documents, spreadsheets, archive files, videos, images, and more. In fact, Google states that it can store any file type if you do not exceed the maximum file sizes listed below:

• Documents: Up to 1.02 million characters or up to 50 MB if you convert the text document to a Google Doc.

• Spreadsheets:Up to 5 million cells or 18,287 columns for spreadsheets created in or converted to Google Sheets, as well as Excel and CSV imports from Microsoft Excel.

• Presentations: Up to 100 MB if you convert the presentation to Google Slides.

• All other file types: Up to 5 TB.

How to Upload Files to Google Drive

You can upload files to Google via your desktop computer or via the mobile app versions of Google Drive for Android and iOS mobile operating systems. Note that you will need a free Google account to access Google Drive and perform any of the following activities.

How to Upload Files to Google Drive via Computer

You can easily upload files or folders from your computer to Google Drive. To do so, follow these steps:

1. From your browser, navigate to drive.google.com.

2. From the top left, click the “New” icon.

3. In the box that appears, click “File Upload” to upload a single file. Click “Folder Upload” to upload a folder.

4. A box will appear that enables you to navigate through your computer’s files. Navigate to where you have stored the file or folder you wish to upload. (For example, if you saved this file/folder to your Desktop, navigate to Desktop and then click on the file or folder.) Choose the file or folder you want to upload.

5. Click “Upload.”

How to Upload Files to Google Drive via Desktop Drag-and-Drop

You can also drag and drop files into Google Drive. To do so, follow these steps:

1. From your computer, navigate to drive.google.com.

2. Open the folder where you wish to upload your files, or create a new folder by clicking the “New” icon then selecting “File” or “Folder.”

3. Locate the files or folders you have saved locally and wish to upload to Google Drive. You may need to slightly minimize the window in which you have Google Drive open in order to locate these files.

4. Click on the desired files or folders and drag them into the Google Drive destination folder.

How to Upload Files to Google Drive Via Computer Using Google Drive for Desktop

Google offers a Google Drive for Desktop application for Windows or macOS devices. This app provides access to Google Drive from your local desktop without opening a web browser. (With macOS, you can do so via Finder; with Windows, via File Explorer.) With Google Drive for Desktop, users can sync files between their device and Google Drive.

To upload files using this application, follow these steps:

1. Install Google Drive for desktop onto your Mac or PC. Note: Unless you specify otherwise during the installation process, Google Drive will appear as an icon in your taskbar (for Mac) or on your desktop (for PC).

2. Drag files or folders into the Google Drive folder.

3. These files and folders will automatically upload to Google Drive. You can therefore access them at drive.google.com or from any device that has the Google Drive app and is logged in to your Google account.

How to Upload Files to Google Drive Via Android Phones or Tablets

1. From your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Drive app.
2. Tap Add (the plus sign icon).
3. Tap Upload.
4. Locate the files you wish to upload.
5. Tap these files to upload them.

How to Upload Files to Google Drive Via iPhone or iPad

1. From your Android iPhone or iPad, open the Google Drive app.
2. Tap Add (the plus sign icon).
3. Tap Upload.
4. Locate the files you wish to upload.
5. Tap these files to upload them.

How to Upload Encrypted Files to Google Drive with WinZip Enterprise

Even Google is not immune to hacks. In 2014, the passwords of five million Google accounts were obtained by hackers. In 2018, another data breach resulted in unauthorized access to personal information related to 52.5 million users. And in 2019, Google announced that a defect in its now-defunct social media platform, Google+, exposed the data of 500,000 users to more than 400 third-party developers.

To keep your Google Drive data safe, Google employs cryptographic security protocols such as Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) and Transport Layer Security (TLS). HTTPS is a certification awarded to sites that are encrypted using Transport Layer Security (formerly known as Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL).

TLS encrypts data sent between locations and devices via the internet, which makes it harder for hackers to access and utilize this data for nefarious purposes, such as cyberattacks or ransomware.

However, there are still potential weaknesses in Google Drive despite these security measures. As mentioned earlier, it does not offer end-to-end encryption, where data is encrypted prior to being transferred to another device, and then decrypted once it reaches its final destination. The keys to encrypting and decrypting this data are stored on the initial and final devices.

With no end-to-end encryption in place, companies cannot guarantee complete control over who views their client and customer data on Google Drive. However, certain security solutions, such as WinZip® Enterprise, encrypt your data and allow you to password-protect files in order to thoroughly secure sensitive information while stored in the cloud or on other types of storage systems.

WinZip Enterprise password protects and encrypts files on Windows operating systems. The solution integrates directly with existing cloud storage solutions including Google Drive, enabling users to easily encrypt and password-protect their files before storing them in the cloud.

To encrypt files using WinZip Enterprise, follow these steps:

1. Open WinZip.
2. In the Actions pane, click Encrypt.
3. Drag and drop the files you want to encrypt into NewZip.zip.
4. Enter a password. (Ensure that it’s a strong one, and be sure to save or store it securely, since it will be required to access the contents of the encrypted folder.)
5. Click OK.
6. From the Actions pane, click the Options tab.
7. Select Encryption Settings.
8. Set the level of encryption that you want and click Save. (WinZip recommends AES-128 or higher.)

You now have a password-protected and encrypted folder, which you can upload to Google Drive following the steps outlined earlier in this article.

Learn how WinZip Enterprise can help your organization securely upload files to the cloud.