Take this Google Account security check now.
From viral articles about how AI-powered hackers are attacking Gmail users, to FBI warnings, and even some commentators suggesting you need to switch to another app, the world’s most popular email platform is never far from the security headlines. My exclusive report on how Gmail is ditching SMS authentication codes and another on critical Gmail security updates prove that Google isn’t taking the attack onslaught without fighting back. If you want to stay safe, then Google has one weapon that you really should be using, and it will only take a minute or two of your time: the Google Account Security Checkup.
The Gmail Security Problem
Given how easy it is to use Google’s web-based email platform, it is hardly surprising that some 2.5 billion active account holders swear by Gmail. The term revolutionary gets bandied about way too often for my liking, but I’ll happily apply it to Gmail as it has been truly that since its launch in 2004, on April 1, no joke. Can a third of the world’s population really have got it wrong? Ask those who have succumbed to the ongoing onslaught of security attacks aimed at them, and the answer might not be entirely positive. That’s understandable from the perspective of anyone who has found themselves on the sharp end of an email account compromise and is looking for someone to blame. However, the blame sits with the cybercriminals behind the attacks, not the platform itself and certainly not the victim either. I refuse to victim blame or shame, it only takes a moment to make a bad decision, and that’s what attackers rely upon; seriously, it could happen to anyone, including you. Google is very proactive when it comes to protecting Gmail accounts. Still, advances in social engineering and the sheer attraction of attacking a platform with such a massive and valuable user base will always mean it is something of a hacker magnet.
How To Secure Your Gmail Account
Google does way more than you could ever imagine to protect your Gmail account from attack, from using “advanced security to warn you about dangerous messages, unsafe content or deceptive websites,” and blocking “more than 99.9% of spam, phishing attempts, and malware from reaching you,” to an advanced protection program available for those accounts most at risk of highly-targeted attacks. There is one protection that you can apply yourself, and I always recommend that Gmail users avail themselves of it at least once every three months: the aforementioned Google Account Security Checkup.
As soon as you land on the security checkup page, you will be met by a number of security recommendations. These will vary according to your settings as each checkup is account-specific, but I am including details of one of my own Gmail test accounts so you can get a feel for it here.
Take the Google Account Security Checkup now.
If you only do one thing online today, then please make it taking this crucial security checkup and ensuring your Gmail account is as safe as it can be.