Google has announced that client-side encryption is now fully and generally available for Google Sheets. The change brings "full interoperability" with Microsoft Excel for users who need to keep their spreadsheet data under lock and key.
In case you"re wondering, Google Workspace Client-side encryption (CSE) adds a powerful layer of security on top of the standard encryption Google already provides. With CSE, your organization holds the encryption keys, meaning your data gets encrypted on your browser before it ever touches Google"s servers as the encryption happens before your data reaches the cloud.
The result is that no one, not even Google, can decrypt it. This is useful for organizations handling sensitive data like intellectual property or financial records. The feature is available to specific Google Workspace subscribers, including Frontline Plus, Enterprise Plus, Education Standard, and Education Plus.
Now that CSE is generally available in Sheets, Google says the update includes full support for import, export, and decryption, as well as export with Vault for e-discovery purposes. With CSE enabled, you need to download, decrypt, and then convert the Sheets file if you want to use it in Microsoft Office. Here"s how:
- Use the Data Export tool or Google Vault to export the encrypted Sheets files from Google Workspace.
- Use the decrypter tool to decrypt the exported files. You should know this tool is for Windows only for now.
- Open the separate file converter tool.
- Select the source folder containing the files you want to convert. This folder will also be the destination for the converted Excel files.
- Click convert. The tool requires a trusted browser, which might ask for permission to edit files on your device.
Image via Google
Workspaces admins can configure this feature at the OU Level. The feature will start rolling out gradually tomorrow, September 18, for Scheduled Release domains. Those on Rapid Release domains, who get features a bit earlier, started seeing it pop up about two weeks ago, on September 4.