5 ways G-mail users can protect their accounts from getting hacked

abiola

October 9, 2017 1:55 PM

Because we don't all have to go down that path.

As you may already have known, there was a reported hack of billions of Yahoo mail users’ accounts.

An epic and historic data breach at Yahoo in August 2013 affected every single customer account that existed at the time, Yahoo parent company Verizon said on Tuesday.

That's three billion accounts -- including email, Tumblr, Fantasy and Flickr -- or three times as many as the company initially reported in 2016.

Names, email addresses and passwords, but not financial information, were breached, Yahoo said last year.

In order to as much as possible avoid this path the Verizon owned former internet giants have walked, here are five ways you could protect your gmail account from facing.

Limit the apps that have access to your personal information

You know the drill, as you proceed to install a new app, you get requests from these apps to allow for permissions to access your Google account info. This also applies to websites that allow you sign up with Facebook or Twitter. Funny thing is, the ones you uninstall later still have access to your details. To cancel access of any app that has your details, go to https://accounts.google.com/b/0/IssuedAuthSubTokens which shows you all the details of apps and all permissions they have.

If you’re uncertain how safe a website is, install Mywot on your web browser. The Mywot extension will warn you if you’re on an untrustworthy website or exposed to any other online threats.

Get in a new password every few months

Endeavour not to use the same password for different websites. Use services like LastPass password managers so you even if you forget your password, LastPass restores it for you. All you got to remember is a master password for LastPass (it would give you a hint about your answer) and you can access all the passwords stored.

The 2-step verification

This comes in especially useful when public computers are used to access your G-mail account. Google will ask for a verification code that they send via SMS and voice calls. So if it were a criminal trying to get into your account, this will frustrate him as long as he doesn’t have your phone as well. For computers used regularly, you can check a box that doesn’t require you completing the 2-step verification ll the time

Last Account Activity

Find out if your account is opened by suspicious persons.

Just scroll down to your inbox page, to the far right, click on details and see your browsing details session. You should also ensure your alert preference is set to “Show an alert for unusual activity.” Then scroll to the top and click the ‘sign out all other sessions’ button.

Suspicious mail links

Be alert to the 'juicy' emails in your spam. If it seems too good to be true, I suggest you err on the side of caution and not click on the link. Just delete.

abiola

Enhance Your Pulse News Experience!

Get rewards worth up to $20 when selected to participate in our exclusive focus group. Your input will help us to make informed decisions that align with your needs and preferences.

I've got feedback!