Encrypt OneDrive and Google Drive Files Using World’s Best Encryption Software

Ever wondered how secure your sensitive personal files and your business data are on Google Drive and OneDrive cloud storage? Keeping files in the cloud is an excellent way to store, access and backup your data, but it might not always be the most private and secure way to do it.

According to Google, it “processes” your stored data to enhance the user experience. This implies that Google maintains access to your files and has the ability to view them at its discretion. When it comes to your sensitive data, you cannot afford to take chances. You need to have full control over it.

Encrypting your data and files at rest and before they reach the cloud is one of the safest measures to ensure that they remain secure at all times, even if a cloud storage provider has access to them or when the files get into the hands of a malicious attacker.

In simple terms, encryption transforms readable data into a scrambled and unreadable form called ciphertext, so that it cannot be deciphered or made sense of by someone not allowed to access it. This way, encryption prevents unauthorized access or tampering with the data

For example, if you encrypt “I like apples” with AxCrypt software using the AES 256-Bit algorithm, you get “v5u8/F28kOazjwQXTxY84+qeweiMvQ=.” This encrypted text appears completely unreadable, unless you decrypt it with the right key.

Decryption is the reverse process of encryption. It uses the same key to convert the encrypted text back into plain text. For example, decrypting “v5u8/F28kOazjwQXTxY84+qeweiMvQ=” you get “I like apples” again.

Now that you know what encryption is, here are 10 reasons why you should encrypt files on your Google Drive and OneDrive cloud storage:

1. ☁️ Enhanced Cloud Security: Once you encrypt your files, you add an additional strong security layer to your files before they reach the cloud storage, providing a secured space for files and mitigating the risks associated with storing data online.

2. 🔒 Data Privacy: Encrypting your files adds an extra layer of privacy, ensuring that only authorized individuals with the decryption key can access your sensitive information.

3. ⛔ Unauthorized Access Protection: Encryption acts as a powerful deterrent against hackers and unauthorized users attempting to gain access to your cloud-stored files.

4. 🛡️ Data Breach Shield: Encryption makes your files useless to attackers in the event of a data breach, as they won't be able to decipher the encrypted content without the encryption key.

5. 📝 Compliance with Data Regulations: Encrypting files on Google Drive and OneDrive helps you comply with various data protection regulations, such as GDPR, HIPAA, and CCPA, which require the protection of personal and sensitive data.

6. 📤 Secure File Sharing: Encrypting files allows you to securely share them with others, ensuring that only authorized recipients can access and decrypt the files.

7. 🔄 Data Loss Protection: In case of accidental file loss or system failures, encryption ensures that your data remains secure and inaccessible to anyone without the encryption key.

8. ©️ Preserving Intellectual Property: If you have valuable intellectual property stored in the cloud, encrypting your files ensures that your proprietary information remains protected, reducing the risk of unauthorized use or theft.

9. 🤝 Trust and Reputation: Encrypting files demonstrates your commitment to data security and privacy, enhancing trust and reputation among your clients, partners, and stakeholders.

10. ✅ Future-Proofing: With the increasing emphasis on data security, encrypting your files now prepares you for future security requirements and ensures the long-term protection of your valuable information.

AxCrypt essentially encrypts and decrypts files in your Google Drive storage in the following sequences.

ENCRYPTION: AxCrypt > Your File > Encryption > Uploading Encrypted File (Sync) > File in Cloud

DECRYPTION: AxCrypt > File in Cloud > File Downloaded to Device > Decryption > File Ready for View/Edit

Each file is encrypted and decrypted before it is uploaded to the cloud storage, ensuring a robust and secure file encryption solution for the cloud.

Watch the step-by-step video tutorial below to encrypt Google Drive files from your smartphone:

On Android and iOS:

Follow the steps below to start encrypting your Google Drive files from your Android and iOS smartphones:

STEP 1: Download and install AxCrypt from the Google Play Store or the App Store.

STEP 2: Open AxCrypt and sign-in or sign-up with your email and password.

STEP 3: Tap the ‘Secure’ button with a padlock icon and select Google Drive.

STEP 4: Sign in to your Google Drive account and allow access to AxCrypt.

STEP 5: Browse and select the files that you’d like to encrypt. Tap and hold to select multiple files.

And that’s it! Your encrypted files will appear on the main screen. To view the files, just tap on any of the files directly from the main screen, or tap the ‘Open Secured’ button. To completely decrypt a file, tap on the ‘Stop Securing’ button and select the file that you’d like to decrypt that has the .axx file extension

On Windows and Mac (Automatic):

Once set up, AxCrypt can automatically encrypt new and modified files in Google Drive and sync them across your devices. Follow the steps below:

STEP 1: Download and install AxCrypt from https://axcrypt.net/download

STEP 2: Download, install, and sign-in to Google Drive desktop from https://google.com/intl/en_in/drive/download

STEP 3: Open AxCrypt and sign-in or sign-up with your email and password.

STEP 4: Click the ‘Google Drive’ icon on the main menu strip, this will create a dedicated folder name ‘AxCrypt’ to your Google Drive sync directory.

STEP 5: Create or add new files to the folder and AxCrypt will encrypt them.

STEP 6: Additionally, you can add any folder to the ‘Secured Folder’ list by right clicking and selecting the folder.

Any new files and modified files in those folders will automatically be encrypted once you sign-out from the AxCrypt or click the ‘Cleanup’ button on the top right. You can view and modify the encrypted file by double-clicking on it, or using the ‘Open Secured’ button.

To completely decrypt the file, click on the ‘Stop Securing’ icon from the main menu strip and select the files that you’d like to decrypt.

Similar to the Google Drive process, AxCrypt encrypts the OneDrive files in a sequence that allows for the encryption of the file before the file is synced to the cloud.

On Android and iOS:

Follow the steps below to start encrypting your OneDrive files from your Android and iOS smartphones:

STEP 1: Download and install AxCrypt from the Google Play Store or the App Store.

STEP 2: Open AxCrypt and sign-in or sign-up with your email and password.

STEP 3: Tap the ‘Secure’ button with a padlock icon and select OneDrive.

STEP 4: Sign in to your OneDrive account and allow access to AxCrypt.

STEP 5: Browse and select the files that you’d like to encrypt. Tap and hold to select multiple files.

You have successfully encrypted your files and they are now displayed on the main screen. You can access any of the encrypted files by tapping on them directly from the main screen, or by tapping the 'Open Secured' button. If you want to decrypt a file completely, tap on the 'Stop Securing' button and choose the file with the .axx file extension that you want to decrypt.

On Windows and Mac (Automatic):

Similar to Google Drive, Once AxCrypt is set-up for OneDrive, it can automatically encrypt new and modified files and sync them across your devices. Follow the steps below:

STEP 1: Download and install AxCrypt from https://axcrypt.net/download

STEP 2: Download, install, and sign-in to OneDrive desktop from https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/microsoft-365/onedrive/download

STEP 3: Open AxCrypt and sign-in or sign-up with your email and password.

STEP 4: Click the ‘OneDrive’ icon on the main menu strip, this will create a dedicated folder name ‘AxCrypt’ to your OneDrive sync directory.

STEP 5: Create or add new files to the folder and AxCrypt will encrypt them.

STEP 6: Add amore folders to the ‘Secured Folder’ list by right clicking and selecting the folder.

To encrypt new and modified files in those folders, you can either sign-out from AxCrypt or click the ‘Cleanup’ button on the top right. To access and edit the encrypted file, double-click on it or use the ‘Open Secured’ button.

To decrypt a file permanently, select the files you want to decrypt and click on the ‘Stop Securing’ icon from the main menu strip.

Encrypting your Google Drive and OneDrive files is a smart way to protect your data from unauthorized access, theft, or loss. Encryption adds an extra layer of security to your files by making them unreadable to anyone who does not have the correct key or password. This means that even if someone hacks into your cloud storage account or steals your device, they will not be able to access your sensitive information.

Encryption also helps you comply with data privacy laws and regulations that may apply to professional data in your organization. You can also enjoy the convenience and flexibility of cloud storage without compromising your data security.