(TotalConservative.com) – Megacorp Google has issued guidance on maintaining proper account security including a number of things to watch out for to avoid being the victim of having your account stolen or otherwise accessed by bad actors.
The biggest red flag is unfamiliar activity on the account, it’s a sure sign that someone else has been using your login credentials. Other signs to watch out for are password changes, or your account information being changed without your permission. Trouble signing in or a deleted account can also indicate you’ve been compromised.
Google advised that folks attempt to sign in and if they can’t, they can use the account recovery feature. They then advise a review of your account’s activity. You can also see which devices are logged in from your Security page. Any devices that aren’t readily known to you should be identified as unrecognized on that page.
Google also encouraged the use of two-step verification. This allows the user to have an extra layer of security above a login and password. Your phone will generate a time-specific code that will be required to login in addition to your password. This will prevent anyone who may have your login info from being able to use it.
They also encourage users to delete suspicious apps on their phones or home computers or web browser extensions they may have added recently. Users can also reset their machines to factory settings, wiping everything off the device, however, that’s generally considered an extreme step to execute as a last resort.
They also advise you to use a unique login and password for Google exclusively. This will prevent any data breaches at third-party websites from impacting your Google account.
Hackers and scammers are becoming more advanced with news of data breaches occurring frequently. Most recently a medical company was hacked, yielding information about its 2.3 million customers and what prescription medications they’re mailed regularly. The state of Maine was also nailed by Russian ransomware hackers who stole identifying information including social security numbers of identification images of all its 1.3 million residents.
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