More than 40% of Google Drive files are confidential

A recent report reveals that 40.2% of files stored on Google Drive contain sensitive data. The finding comes from data security company Metomic, which analyzed around 6.5 million files from Google’s cloud storage service.

The report, published on Wednesday, 6, also suggests that 34.2% of the files analyzed were shared with external contacts outside the company’s domain. Equally worrying was the revelation that more than 350,000 files (0.5%) were accessible to the public, allowing unrestricted entry to anyone with a link to the document.

Among the files flagged for sensitive information, such as employee contracts and password-laden spreadsheets, 18,000 were categorized as “critical level” due to highly sensitive data or insecure file permissions.

The report also mentions that as the frequency of data breaches continues to increase, it becomes crucial for organizations to gain comprehensive visibility into SaaS (software as a service) ecosystems, particularly Google Workspace applications. This challenge is highlighted by the extensive use of the platform, serving more than 3 billion users.

“With so many companies leveraging Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides[…] It’s mind-boggling to think about how much sensitive data is accessible to people outside an organization and how blind most security teams and business leaders are to it,” said Metomic CEO Rich Vibert. “Our Google Scanner report highlights the amount of vulnerable data living in Google Drives around the world, highlighting how critical it is for companies to know what data is being stored, where it is stored and who has access to it.”

According to the executive, the ideal approach to preventing a data breach involves protecting the company’s vulnerable data, preventing it from falling into the wrong hands.

“Metomic’s Google Scanner report makes clear the scale of the challenge for IT and security teams who are struggling to find a balance between protecting their company’s reputation and ensuring employees have access to effective SaaS tools that drive collaboration and productivity throughout the company”, emphasized Vibert.