Warning Issued to Google Drive Users Regarding Significant Spam Problem: Steps to Take Now

Google Drive is the latest target of spam attacks, and the company has issued a clear warning to its users, asking them to be vigilant for possible intrusion attempts. Drive has generally been immune to these problems, but it seems the popularity of the platform has made it a possible way for hackers to push malware or try phishing attacks.

Google has been dealing with Gmail’s spam problem for some time, and recently created a token to reduce and remove spam from your inbox. So how does Google Drive deal with the spam threat, what should users do to prevent it, and what does Google advise people to do? Here is a brief explanation of all the details of this security threat.

Google Drive spam warning: what you need to know

The attack method is similar to any version of spam you encounter on other platforms. The spam sender does it through a suspicious file. You’ll get a random request to accept a file that probably comes from someone you know, but the disguised attacker makes it hard to tell whether it’s legitimate or malicious. However, if you end up opening or clicking the file and downloading it, it may infect your device and steal data.

Google Cloud prides itself on having the strongest encrypted security, but incidents like this make it easy for an attacker to gain access to your device and all the data on it. Things stored in the cloud are usually well protected.

Google Drive spam attack: how to avoid it

Google has a clear mandate for its Drive users to protect them from any such attacks.

– The company says you should not click on any URL or website link attached to the file that could provide an attacker with backdoor access.

– More importantly, it’s better to just avoid downloading or accepting file requests you don’t expect from a friend, family or colleague. Google recommends ignoring these requests and reporting them to the company as well.

– Interestingly, Google believes that simply opening a file may not always be risky, and as long as you don’t interact with the attachment, i.e. click on the link or file, you should be fine.

Google says it’s working to improve Drive’s spam protection in the wake of these attacks, but for now, users can protect their accounts by staying away from unknown files, not accepting file requests from strangers, and more.