Ransomware is a threat that can disrupt businesses and cause real problems for everyday people. When you suddenly lose access to important files, such as family photos, schoolwork, or financial documents, the impact is immediate and personal. As this risk is growing, Google is introducing an AI-powered system in Drive for desktop that can detect ransomware activity early and help users recover before the damage spirals out of control.
Google is embedding a new layer of protection into Drive for macOS and Windows that watches for mass file encryption or corruption, a behavior that typically signals a ransomware attack, as per the company’s blog post. Instead of hunting for malicious code (the traditional antivirus approach), this AI model monitors how files are changing. Once it spots suspicious patterns — usually after just a few files begin scrambling — it pauses syncing between your device and the cloud. That creates a barrier, so the compromised files can’t overwrite the clean ones in Drive.
After that, Google gives you a chance to restore things to normal. You’ll receive alerts on your desktop and in your inbox, and you can use a new, user-friendly web interface within Drive to revert to a safe version of your files.
The cost of attacks and why AI fills the gap
Ransomware remains a serious threat. In 2024, 21% of intrusions tracked by Mandiant involved ransomware, and the average cost per incident topped $5 million. Many organizations, particularly in sectors such as healthcare, retail, education, manufacturing, and government, feel this acutely. What often gets overlooked is the phase that occurs after an attack begins but before it fully contaminates your data. Google’s logic: antivirus tools try to block threats at the entry point; backup systems help you recover after the damage is done. However, there’s a gap between those two, where AI protection resides.
Google isn’t pitching this as a replacement for antivirus or endpoint detection/response (EDR) systems. You still need multiple layers of defense, but this adds a catch-before-it ’s-too-late buffer. One point to note: the tool focuses on the types of files that ransomware tends to target — things like Office documents and PDFs — rather than Google’s own native Docs/Sheets, which already have built-in protections. Additionally, Google states that it doesn’t collect user data or prompts to train its AI models (at least not without explicit permission).
This AI ransomware detection is launching initially as an open beta. For most Google Workspace commercial customers, this feature is included at no additional charge. Individual users also gain access to the file-restore capability without incurring an additional cost. Right now, there’s no word on whether Google will extend similar protections to its Cloud Storage product (used by enterprises).
