How to Protect Your Google Account in 5 Easy Steps
Gmail is the most popular free email service used by millions of people around the world. Billions of messages are dispatched and obtained thru Google’s electronic mail software every day.
Unluckily, it’s also true that malicious hacks, phishing attacks, and password leaks are more common nowadays. To prevent your private e-mail ending up in someone else’s hands, you’ll need to secure your Gmail account.
Let’s take a look at how to secure your Gmail account in just five easy steps.
1. Open Your Google Account Settings
Navigate to Gmail and click on to your profile photo at the top right of the web page, which will open the Google menu. From there, choose Manage your Google Account. When you signed up to Gmail, Google also created a single account which will get right of entry to all their offering services. That is referred to as your Google Account.
Every service has it’s very own settings and alternatives, but important data like your password, two-factor authentication, and other private details are controlled via your Google account.
2. Resolve Security Issues
Google offers security hints and If there are outstanding issues, these might be listed on the top of your account’s security page. Even supposing there are no hints, click secure account at the bottom of the safety issues located segment.
This will take you to an overview of your Google account’s security status. The site uses a traffic light system to alert you to areas that need attention. If all six sections are green, then you can move onto other areas. Otherwise, follow the guidance listed by each section to improve your Account security.
3. Update Your Password and 2-Factor Authentication
Back at your Google account’s Security page, there may be an overview titled Signing in to Google. Right here you could see when your password was last modified, and whether you have got enabled 2-factor authentication. It is good practice to change your password for a stronger one, especially having alphanumeric and special characters in your Password.
Google offers a few options for 2-factor authentication; an authenticator app (like Google Authenticator) or an SMS code. If you use an Android device, you may also be able to set up an authentication notification on your phone, too.
4. Review Your Devices
Under the Your devices header, select Manage devices. This opens a listing of every device currently signed in to your Gmail account.
You can choose to sign out unused or older devices. They appear in a separate series classified in which you’ve signed out. Identifying each may be a bit hard; if the activity came from a Windows PC, for eg, the log might simplest show the device name as windows, in place of some thing specific. Same goes with mobile device based on the OS.
5. Manage Third-Party Apps
Signed out from the devices, now time to review the 3rd-party apps with account access from the Security settings page. This listing info about every app that you’ve given access to to your Google or Gmail account. As with different regions of your account, the list is an overview, and you could select every item to expand the detail.
How to Secure Your Gmail Account?
While it’s essential to enable these features, you also need to make your password a unique one with mix of alphanumeric and special characters.