Pick a password for the file and make sure you remember it-if you forget, that file will be lost forever-then upload it to Google Drive. Open the document in question and head to File > Protect Document > Encrypt with Password.

If you have Microsoft Office installed on your PC, its built-in encryption feature is likely the easiest option. However, until Google adds its own password-protection feature, the best you can do is add an extra layer of encryption to your document before you upload it. The most secure cloud storage is the one you control-or, at the very least, the one in which you control the encryption. It does not, however, protect you if Google's servers get hacked or its employees get nosy.

With these security precautions in place, you can feel pretty safe that your friends, family, or laptop thieves will be locked out of any Google Docs you have stored online. Your phone is likely already encrypted, but on your laptop, be sure to enable BitLocker (Windows) or FileVault (Mac) in your computer's settings to keep thieves out. If you're worried about someone snooping on your laptop or phone, you'll want to protect those devices with a password or PIN if you haven't already-and encrypt the onboard storage. With these in place, it's highly unlikely anyone will be able to get into your account. To protect your docs from outsiders, make sure your account is as secure as possible: use a strong password, enable two-factor authentication, and-for best results-use a hardware security key like a Titan or YubiKey to protect your accounts. Unless you've shared them, other users can't see your files without your Google Account username and password.

Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides documents may not have an option for individual password protection, but they are still protected on Google's servers. Keep Your Devices Secure Yubico YubiKey 5C NFC There are, however, a few things you can do to lock down documents you've stored in Google Drive.

There are also browser extensions that claim to serve a similar purpose-though we don't recommend trusting your sensitive files to random, unknown extension developers.

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Can you lock a folder in google drive