Store passwords in Google Drive- Is it Safe?

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Google Drive is an ideal place to keep your valuable data online. However, is it safe to store passwords in Google Drive? A difficult question to answer. Google Drive is a cloud storage platform and if anyone gets access to your account details, they can access all the data you have stored in your drive.

Saving passwords in Google Drive without encrypting is a precarious idea. You must take the necessary safety steps if you still want to store your passwords in Google Drive.

Why storing passwords in Google Drive is not a safe idea?

If it is online, it is not 100% safe; this safety tip applies to Google Drive also. Google Drive is used widely as a co-working platform. If you accidentally share the full access of your drive to someone from your team, they can access all the data. 

If you save your passwords and sensitive information such as bank details in your Google Drive, they can be misused at any time. Millions of online cyber-attacks happen every day. If a hacker gets access to your Google account, they will get an additional bonus when they find the saved passwords for your personal accounts.

Overall, there is a big risk in storing your passwords in Google Drive or any other cloud storage platform. Considering the safety issues of your sensitive data, it is not recommended to store your passwords in Google Drive. If you are still adamant to do so, we have some tips for you.

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Key points to consider if you choose to store passwords or other sensitive data in your Google Drive

Here are some of the major aspects you need to know. Furthermore, you need to consider these before storing any sensitive data on Google Drive or even any password. Let’s see what we have here.

  • Keep the data encrypted: If you store any passwords in your Google Drive, encrypt the file for additional safety. Even if you believe nobody can gain access to your Google Account, you should be ready for all possible threats.
  • Keep the file private: Make sure the file or folder is kept in private mode and they are unshared. Keep this folder away from the work folders that you share regularly with your team.
  • Protect your PC: Use decent antivirus software on your PC to avoid any virus or malware attack. 
  • Secure your Google account: Make use of the 2-factor authentication safety feature on your Google account. If your Google account is compromised, you’ll be in a real mess with all those sensitive data uploaded to your Google Drive. 
  • Never leave your PC unlocked: Always keep your PC password protected. 
  • Use a separate Google account. Google accounts can be accessed from multiple devices. Also, leaving the account open on any random device will put you at risk. It’s always safe to use a separate account for your sensitive data and remember to keep irrelevant names to files and folders. Avoid using this account to email and subscribe to any services.

You can avoid jeopardizing your sensitive data if you keep the above key points in mind while saving your passwords in Google Drive.

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How to encrypt a Google Drive document?

Encrypted files offer extra safety. Moreover, if you can encrypt the file that includes your password data in Google Drive, then you are safe. Encrypting documents before uploading them to Google Drive is the best practice.

You can use third-party encryption software to secure the file on your PC and then upload it to Google Drive. When you use this method, you will miss the online editing feature of Google Drive.

You will have to download the file and decrypt it to gain complete control over it. If you are a Microsoft Office user, you can make use of the in-built password protection feature to add extra security to your documents.

Follow the below steps to encrypt a file using the WinRAR application on your PC.

  • Right-click on the file and select the Add to archive option in the context menu.
  • Set the Archive format to “ZIP” and click on the Set password option.
  • Set a password for your file and save it.
  • Click on the Ok button and your encrypted file is ready.
  • You can upload this file to Google Drive and whenever you want to access it download and unzip using the password.

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Is it safe to store sensitive personal information in Google Drive?

All the data uploaded to Google Drive are stored in secure data centers managed by Google. No matter how much Google tries to provide world-class security for your data, one human error can put all those efforts in vain.

Careless user action and password sharing can put your Google account at risk and therefore the data stored in your Google Drive account is not 100% safe at any time.

Setting up a strong password and carefully monitoring your Google account can keep your data safe. Make sure your Google account password is at least 14 characters long and contains a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, symbols, numbers, and special characters.

Google services use the always logged-in feature to keep your PC and Android device in sync and this can be a big threat for your sensitive data stored in Google Drive. If you lose any of your devices and a stranger gets access to your device, all your Google accounts will be compromised.

With an unlocked Android phone, anybody can access your entire Google Drive data effortlessly and if you store sensitive data like passwords and bank details things will get more complicated. 

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What are the safe ways to store passwords online?

Typing down your passwords anywhere online is a bad idea. Even if you keep it in a Google Doc file nested inside a myriad of folders in your Google Drive, it is still vulnerable.

The best method to store your passwords is to use a reputed password management application. You can find many highly rated password managers online; choose the one that fits your requirements.

Using a password manager is a much better approach than storing them on Google Drive or any other cloud platform.

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