Has your Gmail account been hacked? How to protect your data
You fear that your gmail account was secretly hacked? There is an easy way to find out and protect your data. Here’s everything you need to know about protecting your gmail account against bad actors
gmail is one of the largest mail servers in the world. Since it is used by millions of people every day, it is very important to ensure that it is secure.
Most of us send and receive emails every day related to sites that store our personal information, credit card details and phone numbers.
Although we often do our best to protect our account with difficult to understand passwords, people can still manage to hack into your accounts – sometimes even without you realizing it.
However, there is no need to worry. google actually has a quick and easy way to check if your account’s security has been breached, as well as ways to make sure you stay protected in the future.
What is Google Password Check-up?
Password Checker is a free Chrome add-on that users can use to find out if their gmail account has been hacked.
The extension, which was first launched by google in October 2019, was designed to enhance online security. This add-on scans all known databases and identifies all usernames and passwords that hackers have extracted from websites and made available to cybercriminals.
Password verification also warns users to change their access information if it is leaked, with a message that reads: “Password verification has detected that your password for (website) is no longer secure due to data breach. You should change your password now. »
Every time you log into a website, a pop-up warns you that you are “one of over 4 billion usernames and passwords” that have been fraudulently obtained and advertised by hackers.
Another trick you can use to check if you have been hacked is to use the website Have I Been Pwned. This will give you a more detailed insight into your email address against multiple data breaches. If your account details are part of one of these data breaches, a message indicating “oh no – pwned” will flash.
This site will also tell you what kind of data has been exposed – be it emails, passwords, etc. – and which service was also involved.
What to do if your Gmail has been hacked?
If your gmail account has been hacked, change your password immediately. Change credentials not only for gmail, but for all services that were affected by the breach.
Make sure you have a strong, unique password for your Gmail account – and don’t use the same password elsewhere.