In Today's world, your Gmail account is like a bank locker which contains all sort of information from your personal to the official, your photos, videos, messages, device backup, your contacts, etc. all under one roof.
So, when it comes to the security of your valuables, your bank has their security system, just like that, Google also has their security system to secure your Gmail account.
In this article we will see some tips to protect or secure your Gmail account :
It will take hardly 10 minutes to secure your Gmail account, Let's get started.
Use Strong Password:
The survey conducted by security companies shows that 70% of people use passwords that are easy to guess and crack for hackers.
To check the strength of your password, visit this Password Strength Checker Website.
Here you have to enter your password and that site will tell you the strength of your chosen password.
The key aspects of a strong password are length (the longer the better); a mix of letters (upper and lower case), numbers, and symbols, no ties to your personal information, and no dictionary words.
How To Choose Strong Password:
Below are some tips, which will help you to create a strong password for your Gmail account.
Your password should be created using a combination of :
- Use a mix of alphabetical and numeric characters.
- Use a mixture of upper- and lowercase; passwords are case sensitive.
- Use symbols & Special Characters (if the system allows)
- Use a combination of random letters and numbers etc.
Your password should not contain:
- Your first name, middle name, or Last Name
- Your mobile number
- Your Date of Birth
- Your Girlfriend or pet name etc.
Follow the above methods and combinations while creating a strong password to secure your Gmail account.
Enable Two-Step Verification :
Two-step verification AKA Two Factor Authentication, it's like an additional security layer, after entering your correct password.
Without two-step verification, hackers only need your password to access your entire Google account including YouTube, Gmail, and Google Play. And remember, if you reuse the same password for multiple services, they could get it from a data breach or through a phishing scam.
With two-step verification, sometimes called two-factor authentication, hackers would need your password and a randomly generated six-digit passcode or physical access to your phone before they could gain access to your Gmail account.
Activating Two-Step Verification is easy and takes hardly 3 minutes. Follow the below guidelines to secure your Gmail account by activating two-factor authentication:
Step 1: Visit the Google account security page
Step 2: click on 2-step verification (your status will be OFF )
Step 3: once you clicked google will ask you to re-enter your password.
Step 4: After that, you will reach the below page click on continue.
Step 5: On the next screen enter your mobile number on which you want to receive an OTP before logging into your account and Turn On Two-Step Verification.
Step 6:Once activated you will see a screen like below :
Now, let's say you are at a location where a network is weak and you were not able to get OTP then in that situation to access your Google account, Google has a set of recovery codes(Backup Codes).
Backup Codes are the codes that we can use instead of OTP to verify your identity and login to your Gmail account, One code can be used only once.
You should download the above backup codes on your device or save them somewhere, where you will get them when in need.
Update Recovery Email and Phone Number :
Just like we have a spare key of our bike or home, same like that your Gmail account has an option to set recovery (backup) email and phone number, which google use to notify if someone tries to log in to your primary account or if google notices any suspicious activity. same email and password you can use to unblock your account if your Gmail account got locked due to various failed login attempts.
So be sure to update and verify those details are updated. To check visit the google security page and you will section like below :
Click on each section Recovery phone, Recovery email, and Security question and update them with current information in your google account to secure your Gmail account.
Lesser-Known feature - Check Account Activity:
It's possible, a hacker (or an ex) is accessing your google account without your knowledge. To check, sign in to your Gmail account and scroll to the bottom of the page. You'll see a line that says "Last account activity..." there click on details or simply visit Check Device Activity
Here, you will see a list of devices on which your account is still log in or is being used. Check the list of devices and sign out from the device you are not familiar with and change your google account password immediately to secure your Gmail account.
Now that you've secured your Gmail account, take a few more minutes to do the same for your Instagram account while you're at it.
For Practical Demonstration, Watch the full video on YouTube :
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