Google Enables Document Backup to Drive in Stable Play Services 26.26 Release
Google has finally activated automatic backup of documents from Android smartphones to the cloud. The feature, prepared by the company for almost a year, is now distributed in the stable version of Google Play Services 26.26.
On Pixel devices a new “Documents” item appears in the path Settings → Accounts and backup → Google Backup. By default the option stays turned off, so Google does not automatically feed Drive with the contents of the Downloads folder.
After activation, documents are uploaded to a newly created Android backups folder on Google Drive. Inside this folder a separate directory is created for each smartphone. Supported formats include PDF, DOC, PPT, XLS, ZIP and others; even APK files located in the downloads directory are included.
Users pay for the convenience with storage space: copies occupy quota in Google Drive. The settings page allows checking remaining capacity, freeing space or purchasing additional storage.
Disabling the backup does not delete already uploaded files, so manual cleanup of the Drive folder is required. Full synchronization is also absent: changes made on the device are not reflected in the cloud copy and vice versa.
First traces of the function were discovered in August 2025. In February 2026 Google officially mentioned it in a Play System update. The capability later appeared in the beta channel of Play Services and has now reached the stable build.
Related articles
How to Earn a Living Writing Technical Articles on Information Security
A detailed guide examines multiple platforms where technical writers can get paid for publishing articles on information security topics. Skillbox offers payments starting from 3,000 RUB but requires a civil-law contract and tax reporting. Codeby pays 250 RUB per 1,000 characters for relevant technical pieces without contracts, making it suitable for remote workers and privacy-conscious authors. Duty-Free provides a fixed 200 USD per article paid in cryptocurrency, yet operates in a gray area under law-enforcement scrutiny. Xakep.ru compensates authors with variable fees around 150 USD for pentest-related material plus subscription perks. The article also discusses risks of writing for high-paying but questionable resources and provides a roadmap based on long-term career goals.
True Crime from Investigators: Solar Group to Premiere Real Cyber Investigation Series at Russian Cybersecurity Week 2026
The Solar Group has announced that its Cyberculture project will shift from poster exhibitions to a short true-crime series titled True Cyber Crime. The series draws directly from real investigation cases handled by the company's security practitioners. Episodes will air on Cyberbez TV during the SOC Forum, which forms the centerpiece of Russian Cybersecurity Week running from 26 to 30 October 2026. In parallel, the Cyberbez-Likbez track will deliver lectures and meetings across more than twenty universities between 5 and 26 October, targeting both specialized and non-specialized audiences. The main SOC Forum itself is scheduled for 27-28 October at the Lomonosov cluster in Moscow. Organizers state that the narrative format is intended to hold viewer attention longer than static posters while explaining concrete digital threats and recommended protective behaviors.
Personal Experience Passing HTB CJCA: What to Know Before the Junior Cybersecurity Analyst Exam
A cybersecurity professional who recently transitioned careers shares a detailed account of completing the Hack The Box Certified Junior Cybersecurity Analyst certification. The exam combines practical red team and blue team tasks in a lab environment rather than multiple-choice questions. Preparation involved completing the full Junior Cybersecurity Analyst path in HTB Academy, practicing on Easy and Medium machines, and following the SOC Analyst Path on LetsDefend. The five-day exam requires separate passing scores in both offensive and defensive sections, with strong emphasis on professional reporting using SysReptor. Key lessons include maintaining organized notes per host, documenting findings with MITRE ATT&CK mappings, and preparing thoroughly for the second phase of alert triage and incident handling.
OpenAI Rolls Out ChatGPT Integration with Google Chrome for Direct Tab Interaction and Task Automation
OpenAI has introduced a deeper integration between ChatGPT and Google Chrome that allows the AI assistant to access content from open tabs and execute user-directed actions directly within the browser. Home users and corporations can now leverage the tool for tasks such as form filling, file downloads, message sending, and organizing multiple tabs without manually copying information into the chat. The update enables complex workflows, including comparing products across several pages by characteristics, delivery times, and return policies, or analyzing tariffs from multiple services to identify the best match. A sidebar mode in Chrome lets users discuss articles, generate report summaries, or draft emails while staying on the relevant page. Combined with conversation history and connected plugins, the system supports advanced scenarios like extracting receipts from Gmail and transferring data into expense reimbursement forms. OpenAI demonstrated examples where the assistant completes registration forms but pauses before final submission, marking a shift from instructional guidance to direct task execution in active tabs.