Google Urges Gmail Users to Secure Accounts as Phishing Attacks Escalate
Google is advising its 2.5 billion Gmail users to update their passwords and enable two-factor authentication to protect their accounts from increasingly sophisticated phishing attempts. Follow the easy steps at the end of this article to secure your accounts from crooks.
Mashable reports that in the wake of a series of data attacks on corporate systems that could eventually threaten users' personal security, tech giant Google is urging its Gmail users to take proactive measures to safeguard their accounts. The company sent notifications to its massive user base in late July and again on August 8, warning that hackers, particularly a group known as "ShinyHunters," are intensifying phishing activity designed to trick users into surrendering their log-in credentials......................
To check recent security activity, users should log into their Google account, navigate to the "Security" section located by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right of the screen, and click on "Recent security activity." Any security alerts from the past 28 days, including new sign-ins, will be visible here.
To change your Gmail password, follow these steps:
Step
1:
Log
into
your
Google
account.
Step
2:
Navigate
to
"Security"
located
in
the
settings
menu
by
clicking
on
the
gear
icon
in
the
upper
right.
Step
3:
Scroll
to
the
"How
you
sign
in
to
Google"
section.
Step
4:
Click
"Password."
Users can then follow the prompts to update their password.
Enabling 2-Step Verification is another crucial step in protecting Google accounts. After logging in and navigating to the "Security" section, users can find the "Turn on 2-Step Verification" option under "How you sign in to Google." Following the on-screen instructions, users can set up multi-factor authentication using an on-device passkey, the Google Authenticator app (or another third-party authenticator), a linked personal phone number, or a backup code.