Gmail is the world's most popular email platform, with more than 1 lakh crore users worldwide. It has an 18% share of the email client market.
In today's age you will find a Gmail account in every smartphone. From phone contacts to photos, every important information stays linked in Gmail itself. Whether you download the app from the Play Store or fill the form online, a Gmail account is required.
This is the reason why now cyber criminals are trying to scam through Gmail account. For this they are taking the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI). However, users can manually secure their Gmail account. For this it is necessary to take some precautions.
So, today In work news We will talk about how dangerous it is to get a Gmail account hacked? You will also know that-
- How to secure Gmail account?
- How to identify if Gmail account is hacked or not?
Expert: Rahul Mishra, Cyber Security Advisor, Uttar Pradesh Police
Question- How can an email account be hacked?
Answer- Cybercriminals use many methods to hack emails. For this he can follow a new pattern every time. Find out from the following few points which methods hackers can use to hack emails in most cases.
By sending phishing mails or messages
Hackers use phishing emails or messages to hack email accounts. For this they claim to be from a reputable organization like a government agency or a bank.
The purpose of phishing is to steal your account details and passwords. Apart from this, malware is downloaded on your device through the link provided in the message. Malware allows scammers to access your computer or mobile so they can steal sensitive information like your email account and passwords.
Signed in from a public device Hackers can take advantage if you have logged into your email ID through the Wi-Fi of a public library, office or cyber cafe and forgot to sign out from that device. They can steal your account and password.
Guessing simple passwords Hackers often don't need to put much effort into hacking emails. They can guess passwords using your personal information. Like 12345678, your date of birth, your or your pet's name.
Q- How dangerous is email account hacking? Answer- Email accounts contain personal and sensitive information. Such as your password, phone number and transaction details.
Even after this, people tend to overlook the security of email accounts. They feel that keeping the email account secure is not that important. This is why cyber criminals are now targeting email accounts.
Q- How can we identify if an email account is hacked or not? Answer- Hackers aim to access your sensitive information. So it is necessary to recognize its email hacking. The sooner you can recognize the signs of hacking, the sooner you can protect your data.
You can identify whether an email account has been hacked or not by the clues given in the graphic below.
Q- How can I secure my email account? Answer- The best way to protect email from hackers is to create strong passwords for all your accounts. Always create a password that is difficult for others to guess. Apart from this, some other methods can be adopted, which can help in keeping your email account safe.
See them in the graphic below-
Q- What is a VPN? How can it protect email account from hacking? Answer- A VPN (Virtual Private Network) encrypts Internet traffic, keeping your email account information safe. A VPN helps protect against phishing and malware attacks. Apart from this it hides your IP address. This prevents hackers from identifying your location.
Question- What to do if the email account is hacked? Answer- After an email account is hacked, the first thing you should do is try to recover it. For this you can follow the steps given below.
Step 1- First go to the email account recovery page.
Step 2- Enter your old password along with your ID here.
Step 3- If you have forgotten your password, you will be asked some security questions. After answering these questions, your account will be signed in.
Step 4- Apart from this you can also use recovery email or mobile number. For this Gmail sends a security code to that number or email id.
Step 5- After entering the security code, you will be asked to create a new password.
Step 6- After this your account will be signed in. Now check your security and change your password.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
