There are many ways you can secure Gmail account, and we are going to help you tighten up your Gmail account security. Below we have listed some tips and security measures to protect your Gmail account from getting hacked.
1. Enable Gmail Two Step Verification
This is the best security measure you can take to keep your Gmail account secure. Google offers 2-Step Verification security on for your Google account that will allow you to login to Google services (including Gmail) with a password and a code sent to your phone. You will have to provide your Gmail password and one-time code sent to your phone to access Gmail. This makes it almost impossible for anyone to hack your account as they need your Gmail password and physical access to your phone. Settings up Gmail 2-Step Verification is extremely easy and we have written a step-by-step guide on how to enable 2-Step Verification for your Google account.
2. Use a Strong Password and Never Use the Same Passwords Online
Using a strong password is extremely important for any online account, but it is especially important for your Gmail account security. Your password should contain random words, numerals, characters and uppercase and lowercase letters. If you can easily pronounce your password or memorize it, then it is definitely not a strong password. Your password should be something like this; “gT34PW$%*fEt$$90”. Furthermore, you should never use the same password on multiple accounts (especially your email account password). If one of your online accounts gets hacked, then it could lead to getting all your accounts hacked. We understand it can be very difficult to remember multiple strong passwords. However, you can take advantage of third-party password manager like LastPass or your browser’s built-in password manager to remember and automatically enter passwords.
3. Track Gmail Login Activity and Sign out Remotely
Gmail lets you see last 10 logins to your Gmail account along with IP address, device, browser and exact time. You can use this information to ensure your account is not being secretly accessed by a device you don’t own or recognize. To track Gmail login activity, go to the extreme bottom of the main interface and click on “Details” under “Last account activity”.
You will see last 10 logins to your Gmail account along with complete details. You can click on “Show details” button next to each to see more details. Although don’t get confused by “Authorized Application” logins as they are the applications that you allowed to access your Gmail account to provide services. You can also press the “Sign out all other web sessions” button above to log out of all the sessions.
4. Tweak Gmail Security Settings
There are many settings in Gmail that could affect the security of your account one way or another. You should make sure there is no problem in these settings to secure your Gmail account. To access all Gmail settings, click on the “Gear” icon on the top right corner and select “Settings”. Below are some settings you should tweak:
5. Never Give Up Your Account Information
There are hundreds of methods scammers can use to trick you and steal your account information. The rule thumb is to never trust any one and never give up your information. No legit person or company will ever ask for your account information to give gifts, offers, jobs, help you fix issues or protect your account in any way. If someone asks for your password (even Google), simply decline and ignore the email. Furthermore, also refrain from clicking on links from sources you don’t trust. And never login to any account after clicking through a link. A phishing attack can easily steal your information and hack your account.
Is Your Gmail Account Secure?
You can follow the above tips to secure your Gmail account and keep the hackers out. You can also go through Security Checkup offered by Google to ensure your accounts credentials are secure and recoverable. Additionally, if you are looking for safe Gmail experience, then you should also encrypt confidential emails. Are you confident that your Gmail account is now secure from hackers? If it has somehow been compromised, here our guide to recover hacked Gmail account. Let us know if you have more security tips to protect your Gmail account in the comments below.
