Google Drive - How secue with two step authentication?

[Fred Bloggs]

Dear all, I have been aware for a while that some of the documents I am keeping on my Google Drive could be of assistance to a hacker to access other accounts. I have enabled the two step authentication where you need my mobile phone to log in to my Google account. Just how secure is this please? Thanks.

[SueEllen]

linky


If it's that important don't keep it on a computer.

[Fred Bloggs]

linky


If it's that important don't keep it on a computer.

Thank you Sue Ellen, in principle I agree with you. But given that everything we need to live day to day is now on a computer putting some documents on the Google Drive is the modern equivalent of putting them in a biscuit tin under the stairs?

[DaveB]

Dear all, I have been aware for a while that some of the documents I am keeping on my Google Drive could be of assistance to a hacker to access other accounts. I have enabled the two step authentication where you need my mobile phone to log in to my Google account. Just how secure is this please? Thanks.

No solution is 100% secure but having this enabled is a much better option that just relying on a username and password.

You could go a step further and protect any particularly sensitive documents using something like 7Zip to apply strong encryption at the file level as well. That way even if access to your Google Drive is compromised your files would still be protected (assuming you used a decent password and didn't leave it available anywhere daft like a notebook app on you phone.)

[Fred Bloggs]

No solution is 100% secure but having this enabled is a much better option that just relying on a username and password.

You could go a step further and protect any particularly sensitive using something like 7Zip to apply strong encryption at the file level as well. That way even if access to your Google Drive is compromised your files would still be protected (assuming you used a decent password and didn't leave it available anywhere daft like a notebook app on you phone.)

Thanks. I didn't know you could do that. Can you encrypt an entire folder to store the sensitive documents in?

[WTFH]

Thanks. I didn't know you could do that. Can you encrypt an entire folder to store the sensitive documents in?

You could 7Zip the folder prior to uploading it, but then you need to unzip it to view. Not sure if that would be possible through google drive.
But if you want to do that, you'd be better zipping the folder onto a memory stick and putting it on your car keyring. Password protect the memory stick, password protect the folder(s). The data is secure and you've got it with you at all times.

[DaveB]

Thanks. I didn't know you could do that. Can you encrypt an entire folder to store the sensitive documents in?

You'll need to have a play with it to get it working, but essentially 7Zip creates an encrypted Zip Folder so you could add as many documents to it as you wanted.

It should play nicely with Google Drive, but even if it doesn't you can create the encrypted folder on your desktop and then upload it to google.

Other apps are available like BoxCryptor.

All this assumes of course, that you actually trust Google in the first place.

[Fred Bloggs]

You could 7Zip the folder prior to uploading it, but then you need to unzip it to view. Not sure if that would be possible through google drive.
But if you want to do that, you'd be better zipping the folder onto a memory stick and putting it on your car keyring. Password protect the memory stick, password protect the folder(s). The data is secure and you've got it with you at all times.

Thanks, good point. I do carry a USB stick on my car key ring. A friend lost his, but it wasn't encrypted, a very bad idea IMHO.

[DaveB]

Thanks, good point. I do carry a USB stick on my car key ring. A friend lost his, but it wasn't encrypted, a very bad idea IMHO.

Did he work for HMRC / MoD / DWP / Other Government Agency? (Delete as appropriate)

[Fred Bloggs]

You'll need to have a play with it to get it working, but essentially 7Zip creates an encrypted Zip Folder so you could add as many documents to it as you wanted.

It should play nicely with Google Drive, but even if it doesn't you can create the encrypted folder on your desktop and then upload it to google.

Other apps are available like BoxCryptor.

All this assumes of course, that you actually trust Google in the first place.

Thank you, that's very helpful. I also have 100Gb cloud storage with BT but I guess it's moot who you trust. I suppose the answer should be "no one".