Google Drive is a primary cloud storage service. It is a prevalent service people use in their day-to-day life. You can save your files securely just by having a Google account. A google drive has several advantages, such as freeing up space on your phone, accessing data when you don’t have your computer, etc.
You may now and again have to encrypt your Google Drive folders to safeguard your confidential data from hackers breaching it. It isn’t always necessary that the information is sensitive, but you may want to password-protect your google drive folders from prying eyes. If somebody uses your PC, they won’t access parts of the archives you want to be hidden. You must know how to password-protect your google drive folders. There are many ways to do this, but we have covered the three main ways in this article.
Read on to learn these methods and get those files password protected asap!
Password Protect Google Drive Folders: Can You Do It?
Google Drive needs the feature to password-protect a folder. Theoretically, your account’s password safeguards your google drive folders, except if shared with others. In this way, you can only partially password-protect individual files. However, you could encrypt them before transferring them using a third-party app.
How do you secure the folders or files in Google Drive? If not, don’t worry. Mentioned below are some ways you can password-protect your google drive folders
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3 Ways to Password Protect Google Drive Folders
These are some of the hand-picked methods through which you can password-protect your google drive folders:
Method #1 – By Using Google forms
You can use google forms to protect your google drive folders. Let us understand how:
Step #1: Open your google drive.
Step #2: On the menu pane on the left side of your google drive, click on the option that says ‘New. ‘
Step #3: Then, from the available options, select google forms.
Step #4: A Google form will then open up.
Step #5: Specify a title to your form in the “untitled form” area. Use an easy-to-remember title for the document.
Step #6: In the untitled question field, enter a password for the area. Use “short answer” as the type of text. This can be found on the drop-down next to the “text” field.
Step #7: Tap the “required” button, tap the eclipse symbol, and turn on “response validation.”
Step #8: You should choose “text” instead of “number” in this section. Leave “contains” the way it is, then enter the password in the text field.
Step #9: In the “custom error text,” enter something that prompts you to enter the correct password, such as “Sorry, wrong password. Try again.” Don’t leave this field blank, as in some cases; Google displays the password if the custom error text field is blank.
Step #10: After everything is done, click the settings icon at the top corner and go to “presentation.” Where it says “Confirmation message,” enter an introductory text: “You can access the folder here.”
Step #11: Click on the edit option before the Confirmation message and provide the Google Drive folder link, which needs password protection, and Click on Save.
Step #12: When the confirmation message is updated, click the send button and share the link for your Google form.
After this, whenever someone clicks on the Shared Google Forms link, they will be asked for a password.
Method #2 – By uploading encrypted files and folders
You can also use your PC’s built-in encryption feature to encrypt files and upload them to Cloud Storage. You must have removable media like a USB device to back up your data.
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Step #1: Select a folder on your PC and then right-click to Choose Properties Option.
Step #2: Right-click the folder you want to encrypt and select Properties from the menu.
Step #3: Go to the advanced option at the bottom of the general tab.
Step #4: In the Advanced Attributes option, select Encrypt contents to secure data under Compress or Encrypt attributes and click ok.
Step #5: Then click on “Apply.” Select the “Apply changes to this folder only” option in the “Confirm Attribute Changes screen.”
Step #6 will prompt you to back up your file encryption certificate and key. Select backup now.
Step #7: Provide a password and upload the folder to your google drive.
This is an effective way to password-protect a google drive folder.
Method #3 – Encrypting docs files with MS Word
The password feature of Microsoft Office can be used to encrypt a document file.
Step #1: Open Microsoft Office on your PC and navigate to “File.”.
Step #2: Choose the “info” tab on the left menu pane.
Step #3: Click “Protect document” and select “Encrypt with Password” from the drop-down.
Step #4: Enter a password and click “ok.”
Step #5: Now upload this password-protected file to google drive.
Check out the video below:
FAQs
How can I encrypt files before uploading them to Google Drive?
To encrypt files, you can use encryption tools or software like 7-Zip, VeraCrypt, or AxCrypt to create encrypted containers or archives. Once the files are encrypted, you can upload them to Google Drive. They will remain secure as long as you don't share the encryption keys or passwords.
Are there any third-party tools to password-protect Google Drive folders?
Yes, third-party applications and extensions in the Chrome Web Store can help you password-protect specific files or folders within Google Drive. Search for 'Google Drive password protection' or 'Google Drive encryption' to find suitable options. However, always review the permissions and credibility of these tools before granting them access to your Drive.
Can I password-protect Google Drive folders using Google Workspace (formerly G Suite)?
Google Workspace doesn't offer native folder-level password protection for Google Drive. However, Google Workspace administrators can apply various security measures, like enabling two-factor authentication and access controls, to enhance the overall security of Google Drive.
How can I password-protect a Google Drive link to a folder?
Google Drive does provide an option to set permissions on shared folders, but this doesn't offer password protection. Instead, you can control access to the folder by sharing it with specific Google accounts or creating a shareable link with restricted access (e.g., view-only or edit-only permissions).
Conclusion
Google Drive contains all the essential data of every individual, organization, etc. It has become mandatory to protect our data at any cost.
Since there is no direct way to password-protect your google drive folders or files, some of the methods mentioned above could be helpful for you.
But even then, you must pay special attention to those you share your file links with.
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