Top 5 Security Steps For Your Gmail Account
Being a Google fan, my Gmail account rather my Google account is my online identity. If it is hacked, I would lose not only my vital personal information but that could lead to offline repercussions hardly ever thought by innocent netizens.
The 5 security steps which would make your Gmail account more safe are:
1. Strong and Long Password
This needs no introduction, even a layman may understand the importance of unguessable password. Never use the words which are commonly used. It should be a combination of Upper Case, Lower Case, Number, Alphabet and if you need real strong password, do try the special characters also
Longer Password is the easiest solution, since mathematically it becomes less susceptible. Brute-Force Attack Calculator, http://lastbit.com/pswcalc.asp which provides you with the number of days or years a brute-force attack method would take to hack your password, if needed [Brute-force attack is the worst case scenario solution!].
Brute Force
2. Use https:// instead of http://
It enables you with secure connection, it makes your gmail to load slower as compared to the http URL but that can be compromised. Every time you open any webpage on the internet, it sends & receive the information over internet, https:// urls encrypt the information send or received from the Gmail Servers inturn enabling encrypted connection between your computer and Gmail’s servers.
Go to Settings> General> Browser Connection and choose “Always use https”
Always use https
3. Remember to “Sign Out/Log Out” from any of the “Google services”
When you are using the Gmail account on public computers like Office, Computer Lab or Cyber cafe, you should never forget to sign out & if possible delete all the browser’s cache, cookies and history from the system via closing the browser, locking Off or shutdown the computer. Sometimes you save your password in your browser which is quite dangerous as we can see the saved password of gmail .
If you have forgotten to “sign out”, while using it from any public computer, “Remote Sign Out” Feature enables the users to see the recent activity on the gmail along with the IP address, so that you can remember the activity and click to Sign Out from all the Gmail Section.
Last account activity
Recent Activity
4. Update Account recovery information
It make your Google Account almost insured; which means you can retrieve your google account, if you have lost the password or someone have gains access to your account. Gmail Recovery Steps provide every email user with a security question & answer, you should choose the combination of Q & A in such a way that is easy to remember. Keep up-to date your secondary email address or phone number information so that gmail can send a link to reset the password if you have forgot it. The security questions shouldn’t easy and also shouldn’t be hard to remember trivia.
5. Authentication icon for verified senders
It provides the user with the Authentication icon right on the side of the sender name, which allows you to decide if the person which is mentioned in the name field is real or it is a fake email.For the time being the feature is limited to eBay and PayPal.
Go to Settings> Labs> Authentication icon for verified senders and choose “Enable”
Authentication icon for verified senders
There are other security steps you need to follow regularly like “don’t provide your Gmail Address & Password” to every site it could lead to phishing, be-aware of every attachment you open and do not click on any suspicious links…
How to Backup Gmail – Gmail accidentally losing all your data
If you are worried about losing your data, you might want to back it up immediately.
There are several ways to backup your Gmail data. I shall explain the simplest way. This method backs up your data using POP. Follow these steps
1. Login to Gmail
2. Choose Settings and open the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
3. Select Enable POP for all mail (even mail that’s already been downloaded).
4. Click Save.
After following the above steps, you will need to an email client to download all your email to your computer. I shall be using the Opensource email client Thunderbird which works across windows, Linux and Mac OS X very well. First, download and install Thunderbird
Then follow these steps to back up your Gmail data.
* Open Thunderbird and choose File -> New -> Mail Account
* Enter your Gmail account details and click Continue
* Once Thunderbird finishes checking your account details and configures itself, choose POP and click Create Account
Thunderbird should start fetching your Emails, attachments and chat logs automatically. In case you face any problems with the above steps or Thunderbird is unable to download your data, you may check for a list of common problems and their solutions.
So go ahead and backup your Gmail today before you loose any sensitive information.
Being a Google fan, my Gmail account rather my Google account is my online identity. If it is hacked, I would lose not only my vital personal information but that could lead to offline repercussions hardly ever thought by innocent netizens.
The 5 security steps which would make your Gmail account more safe are:
1. Strong and Long Password
This needs no introduction, even a layman may understand the importance of unguessable password. Never use the words which are commonly used. It should be a combination of Upper Case, Lower Case, Number, Alphabet and if you need real strong password, do try the special characters also
Longer Password is the easiest solution, since mathematically it becomes less susceptible. Brute-Force Attack Calculator, http://lastbit.com/pswcalc.asp which provides you with the number of days or years a brute-force attack method would take to hack your password, if needed [Brute-force attack is the worst case scenario solution!].
Brute Force
2. Use https:// instead of http://
It enables you with secure connection, it makes your gmail to load slower as compared to the http URL but that can be compromised. Every time you open any webpage on the internet, it sends & receive the information over internet, https:// urls encrypt the information send or received from the Gmail Servers inturn enabling encrypted connection between your computer and Gmail’s servers.
Go to Settings> General> Browser Connection and choose “Always use https”
Always use https
3. Remember to “Sign Out/Log Out” from any of the “Google services”
When you are using the Gmail account on public computers like Office, Computer Lab or Cyber cafe, you should never forget to sign out & if possible delete all the browser’s cache, cookies and history from the system via closing the browser, locking Off or shutdown the computer. Sometimes you save your password in your browser which is quite dangerous as we can see the saved password of gmail .
If you have forgotten to “sign out”, while using it from any public computer, “Remote Sign Out” Feature enables the users to see the recent activity on the gmail along with the IP address, so that you can remember the activity and click to Sign Out from all the Gmail Section.
Last account activity
Recent Activity
4. Update Account recovery information
It make your Google Account almost insured; which means you can retrieve your google account, if you have lost the password or someone have gains access to your account. Gmail Recovery Steps provide every email user with a security question & answer, you should choose the combination of Q & A in such a way that is easy to remember. Keep up-to date your secondary email address or phone number information so that gmail can send a link to reset the password if you have forgot it. The security questions shouldn’t easy and also shouldn’t be hard to remember trivia.
5. Authentication icon for verified senders
It provides the user with the Authentication icon right on the side of the sender name, which allows you to decide if the person which is mentioned in the name field is real or it is a fake email.For the time being the feature is limited to eBay and PayPal.
Go to Settings> Labs> Authentication icon for verified senders and choose “Enable”
Authentication icon for verified senders
There are other security steps you need to follow regularly like “don’t provide your Gmail Address & Password” to every site it could lead to phishing, be-aware of every attachment you open and do not click on any suspicious links…
How to Backup Gmail – Gmail accidentally losing all your data
If you are worried about losing your data, you might want to back it up immediately.
There are several ways to backup your Gmail data. I shall explain the simplest way. This method backs up your data using POP. Follow these steps
1. Login to Gmail
2. Choose Settings and open the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
3. Select Enable POP for all mail (even mail that’s already been downloaded).
4. Click Save.
After following the above steps, you will need to an email client to download all your email to your computer. I shall be using the Opensource email client Thunderbird which works across windows, Linux and Mac OS X very well. First, download and install Thunderbird
Then follow these steps to back up your Gmail data.
* Open Thunderbird and choose File -> New -> Mail Account
* Enter your Gmail account details and click Continue
* Once Thunderbird finishes checking your account details and configures itself, choose POP and click Create Account
Thunderbird should start fetching your Emails, attachments and chat logs automatically. In case you face any problems with the above steps or Thunderbird is unable to download your data, you may check for a list of common problems and their solutions.
So go ahead and backup your Gmail today before you loose any sensitive information.
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