Gmail is a web mail service provider run by the internet search engine giant Google inc. As of June 2012, it is the most widely used web-based email provider with over 425 million active users worldwide. Gmail is used by a wide variety of people starting from children to business officials, for both personal and formal purposes. We use mail services for online transactions, purchases and much more. So, mails in and out of our account could carry sensitive and private information such as our address, contact no, Bank account details & etc. If the security of our account is compromised by a third party, we could lose all our important information and would face serious consequences. To avoid this, one must ensure the security of his/her accounts thoroughly for not leaving any chance for hackers.
Hacking / Hacker ?
Internet can give you hundreds of definition for these terms. Let me give you the simplest version!
Hacking is breaking into someone else’s system/network or anything, without the knowledge of the actual owners. In most cases, it is done out of curiosity for pure fun, while in other cases it is to show the victim how pathetic his protection is!
A hacker can be anybody. You don’t need to know all about coding for being a hacker. A simple knowledge on how things work and some common sense is well enough.
In this article, let’s see the most common mistakes we make, that would give a hacker an easy access to our Mail Account. Once you follow all my points here, I can guarantee the safety of your Gmail Account from hackers. Here we go!
1. Stronger the password, Better the protection!
The image speaks for itself. Of course, choosing a strong password is the very first step in protecting your account from hackers. For best results, use a combination of numbers, special characters, uppercase and lowercase letters that would be really hard to guess! Also avoid using the same password for all your online accounts because if one of your account gets hacked, you might lose all your other accounts that uses the same password. So try having an unique password for every online account you maintain!
2. A weak Security Question is nothing but an open invitation to hackers!
Most of us don’t take this step seriously. We don’t realize that a weak security question can be a possible loophole which could be used by a hacker to gain access to your account. Let me explain this in depth. Believe it or not, but in most cases the account is hacked by someone you know. It can be your friend, colleague or even your neighbor who know about you to some extent. So consider the following possibilities.
- If he went to the same school as you, he could probably answer questions 2 & 4 with a little research of course.
- If he is your friend, he could probably answer all the four questions.
Now i think you understand the point i’m trying to make here. Yes, choosing an unique security question is as important as choosing a strong password. For this, I would recommend you to write your own question. It can be something highly personal to you which no others would know by any chance. A strong password and a tough security question can reduce the chances of your account getting hacked to a great extent!
3. Stay alert and Stay safe from phishers!
Phishing is the act of attempting to acquire information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details (and sometimes, indirectly, money) by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Read more about it in Wiki. Phishing is said to be the most successful type of online attacks. Major websites, high profile emails and many others have fallen victim to phishing. So, let’s learn some ways by which a phishing attack can be identified and avoided.
- Whenever you receive an email from an unknown entity or a friend, asking you to sign in to your Social Network, email or any other online account you maintain, stay alert because there is a good chance that it might be a phishing attack .
- The picture above is a sample phishing page where once you enter your log in credentials, an email will be sent containing your username & password straight away to the attacker. So, check the url of the page before signing in. At first, it may appear to be a legit url. But at the end, you will find some unknown website which is not related to the original website. For eg, in this picture, you can find the url to be http://googleverification.110mb.com/verifymyaccount/try where 110mb.com is the site where this phishing script is hosted. So never give in your credentials before confirming the authenticity of the source.
- You may also receive emails claiming to be from reputed organisations such as coca cola, informing you that your email has been selected for some prize money and you need to enter your personal information in order to claim your award. Never fall for that! Its 100% phishing.
The above said points are the most common types of phishing attacks. So, stay alert and stay safe!
4. Beware of Key loggers!
key loggers are programs that are capable of logging every keystroke and even screenshots of your desktop activities. They can be installed remotely as well as through physical access to your computer. They can act in total stealth mode which makes it impossible for detecting them manually. For this purpose, I would recommend to use a good antivirus for your computer. Kaspersky offers good security and is really good at detecting and removing key loggers. It is also affordable and easy to use. You can order it from http://www.kaspersky.com
5. Last but not the least, 2-step verification by Google.
If you are still not convinced with the security of your account, you can go for the 2-step verification process offered by Google itself. Once setting it up, every time you try to log into your Gmail, a verification code will be sent to your mobile which you need to enter back in your Gmail for verification. Once verified, you can log into your account and access your emails. This way, your account is protected by a password as well as the verification number which cannot be stolen unless the attacker has access to your mobile. To set the 2-step verification for your account right now, follow the link here - Set up 2-step verification.
Once you follow all my points here, I can assure you that your account is now safe and secured from hackers.
Note :- The article here is specifically crafted for Gmail. However, the same can be applied to other email providers and online accounts as well since the methodology is same for all. If you have any other tips or suggestions, feel free to share it in the comments section below!
Hello Karthik, great tips on keeping Gmail safe the’re so many people using Google services it’s always good to know these helpful tips.
Have a great day my friend.
RobG recently posted…How to Publish Weekly And Keep Your Readers Aroused And Interested
Its great to see you here @ RG and yes, I wish it would benefit as many google users as possible. Thanks for droppin’ in my friend!
kcube recently posted…5 Solid Tips To Protect Gmail Account From Hackers
Nice information Karthik, apart from coca cola or other companies, some times we get some mails as if it has been sent from Google itself to submit password for some verification but we should also be aware of such tactics. People easily fall as a prey to this technique.
Vijesh recently posted…Tips to make an extraordinary Interview series for your blog
Yes Vijesh, I too received emails claiming to be from Gmail and Orkut telling that there is a newer version of them available and I need to sign in right now to use them. The huge success of this technique is because they appear so legit and people don’t even suspect them for that. But one can easily prevent these attacks by simply sparing some time in checking their authentication before giving their credentials. Thanks for sharing your point @Vijesh. See You around!
kcube recently posted…5 Solid Tips To Protect Gmail Account From Hackers
2-step verification is a must-have. However this did not work on my version of Android I don’t know why.
I understand that you are using some mobile device to access Gmail. Can you give us some more information on the version of android and other details. Would be helpful for other users as well. Thanks for droppin’ in @Dmitri
kcube recently posted…5 Solid Tips To Protect Gmail Account From Hackers
My Android version is 2.3.7. I think it’s time to upgrade
Have a great Sunday!
Thanks for visiting again @Dmitri. BTW I don’t think you need to upgrade your android for using this feature. Anything above Android version 2.1 is well enough. I did little research on your problem and found this.
https://support.google.com/a/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=175197&topic=2759193&rd=1
http://support.google.com/accounts/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1066447
Hope it helps you! See you around and have a great sunday too
kcube recently posted…5 Solid Tips To Protect Gmail Account From Hackers
Thanks Karthik,You really gave us rock solid tips for securing Gmail account,Two step authentication is my favorite in the list in eliminates all possibilities of security attack.
Vivek R recently posted…Switches and Toggle buttons PSD for Mobile or Web App
Yes Vivek, 2 step authentication is the best out there and of course it eliminates the possibilities of all other attacks. But it isn’t suitable for all people, especially for those who read their emails on the go. That is why I kept it as a last point in this checklist. Thanks for sharing your point. See You around!
kcube recently posted…5 Solid Tips To Protect Gmail Account From Hackers
Hey Karthik,
Wow, that’s a pretty great share here. I didn’t know about the phishing sites so thanks for that tip. I have a strong password and not an easy security question so I think I’m good. I don’t have the double verification process though, I hate using my cell phone for stuff like that. I’m pretty aware though and have a great security system on my computer so I think I’m pretty good.
Great info to know though, thank you so sharing this.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted…Some Anniversaries Are Not Worth Celebrating
Hello Adrienne,
It’s a real pleasure to see you here and yes, you are doing great. A strong password and a tough security question is well enough to protect your account from hackers. Also, since you said you have a good security system, you are protected from keyloggers as well. Only thing you need to be cautious about is Phishing, which i believe you would be aware of by now. Thanks for visiting my blog and adding your valuable input. Hope to see you again!
kcube recently posted…5 Solid Tips To Protect Gmail Account From Hackers
Hi Karthik,
Nice to meet you! Thanks for raising this important question of gmail security. To be honest I am a bit careless when it comes to all those passwords and settings. Yet, after reading your clear advie and detailed explanatons, I’ve reconsidered my views. Thanks for this small revolution in my Internet use strategies))
Have a nice week! Looking forward to new updates.
Julia Reed recently posted…Gun Control Essay: 10 Catchy Titles + 5 Latest Sources
Hello Julia, Thanks for stopping by. The pleasure is all mine. Yes, one shouldn’t be careless when it comes to matter of security. I’m really glad that my article helped in reconsidering your views for a better security of your Gmail account. And yes, more updates are coming soon
Stay connected!
kcube recently posted…5 Solid Tips To Protect Gmail Account From Hackers
Hey Karthik,
I dived in arrogantly that my account was pretty safe, turns out you’ve enlightened me. 1 and 2 I’m following duly but never ever wondered about Phishing, gosh I must check that everytime from now on. Keyloggers? My brother tried that trick on me once and I’ve been aware of that ever since and of course the 2-step verfication, I’ve set it up long back.
Thanks again!
Aditya
Aditya recently posted…Do You Give Yourself a Second Chance?
Hi Aditya,
Its nice to meet you. Since you seems to follow all the points I told here, I’m pretty sure that your account is now safe from hackers. Just stay alert of phishing attacks and you will be fine. Thanks for adding your valuable input my friend. See you around!
kcube recently posted…5 Solid Tips To Protect Gmail Account From Hackers
Thanks for sharing this Karthik. I was aware of all the security points except the 3 rd one. I didn’t knew about it. I’ll follow your blog for future updates.
Mridula recently posted…Samsung Galaxy Note 8 – iPad Mini – Nexus 7–Who Wins?
Hey Mridula, Thanks for stopping by. More updates are coming soon, Stay Connected!
kcube recently posted…Check RAM for problems Using Memtest86
I never really paid attention to any of these security matters. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge on this. Would try to be careful from now on. Thanks for the good read!
Thanks for visiting my blog Irvine. Stay connected!
kcube recently posted…Check RAM for problems Using Memtest86
Hi,
These tips your describe about how we secure our gmail it is really important for me. Some point I never heard before that’s why it is useful for me.
Thanks for share with me this informative article.
Deepak Mehra recently posted…Travel Portal Development Company
Hey Deepak, Thanks for stopping by. Glad you liked it
kcube recently posted…Protect USB drive from Viruses
Great tips Karthik, I guess 2 step verification is the most mandatory thing everyone should do to protect gmail accounts. Thanks for the share.
Jijin Mohan recently posted…Roku 3 Streaming Player Review, Price and Release Date
Yes Mohan, 2 step verification is the best but like I said before it is not suitable for every people. Most people see it as time consuming. But still it is the best from my point. Thanks for adding your valuable input my friend. See you around!
kcube recently posted…10 simple tasks every computer user should be able to do
Great tips for safety, I personally feel OK with just a strong enough password, but that doesn’t mean that one should not have used the other suggestions: the tighter the security is, the better.
The advices are old but always applicable and not to be neglected.
SeoKungFu recently posted…Svejk Republic
Thanks for stopping by @SeoKungFu
kcube recently posted…10 simple tasks every computer user should be able to do
While the first 4 are all everyone should already now, the last one is really increase the security to the next level. Besides Gmail, few other companies also now allow users to DO the 2 step verification.
Rudd recently posted…WordPress101: Change Default Category in WordPress
Thanks for droppin’ in
kcube recently posted…10 simple tasks every computer user should be able to do
This is a must read for all gmail users.Bookmarked and subscribed!
Whoa! This blog looks just like my old one! It’s on a completely different topic but it has pretty much the same layout and design. Superb choice of colors! Thanks for the security tips BTW!!!