If you’re wondering if your gmail account is protected from hackers, the answer is yes, but only up to a point. gmail is encrypted with tls, transport layer security, while it transfers your data and protects your emails at rest with industry standard 128-bit encryption.
google has plenty of security features to make it difficult for outsiders to intercept your data, remember it’s not just hackers to worry about. Your email provider could also be secretly reading your emails, and your gmail account is no exception. after being discovered, google apparently stopped and “employed” bots to scan your emails and collect valuable information about you.
shortly after that, they made a mistake again. this time they gave their partners full access to emails from users’ gmail accounts. They weren’t just bots, but real human beings who were reading emails from gmail users without their knowledge. according to their partners and google, they needed this information to train their ais.
If you truly care about your privacy, deal with sensitive information, or shiver at the thought of someone reading your emails, you should consider enhancing your Gmail account’s security (or looking for a privacy-oriented alternative).
Privacy-oriented email providers make money by selling premium plans instead of ads or by selling your data. They also use end-to-end encryption, giving you excellent security. end-to-end encryption helps prevent your data from being intercepted. If Google had used end-to-end encryption with its own services, many wouldn’t be looking for better alternatives. Some of the email providers we’ve rated here even integrate disposable emails, anonymous payments, bulk storage, spam filters, mitm attack protection, and free trials, so there’s no reason to sacrifice your privacy anymore. /p>
But if you’re used to gmail, don’t despair, you don’t have to look for another email provider. Gmail encryption, a password manager, and even a Gmail security checklist can help you increase your protection. Here are 8 ways you can quickly increase the security and privacy of your Gmail account now.
encrypt emails in your gmail account to make sure no one snooping on you, not even google, can read them. there are many third-party plugins to choose from, and some may require more technical knowledge than others. Read our recommendations and full review here.
gmail encryption is important, but so is having a strong password. if your password is ‘password123’ or something similarly easy, you’re in trouble. if you use it for all your accounts, that’s even worse. most people use weak passwords. they can be easily guessed or have previously been leaked in one of the many data breaches, making the hackers job quite easy. learn how to create strong passwords and keep them safe with a password manager.
A password manager is a perfect tool if you don’t want to rack your brain over complex passwords. A decent password manager, like NordPass, will automatically create complex passwords and store them too. when it comes to having to type your password, a password manager can autofill it for you.
The worrying thing is that we’re still not very smart when it comes to passwords. nordpass found that the most common password in 2021 was “123456”, used by more than 100 million people. the second most common password was the slightly more complex “123456789”. (not so bright if you want to outsmart hackers). invest in a password manager instead of having to resort to extremely common passwords.
make sure to enable two-factor authentication (2fa). With 2fa, you will need a password and a unique code sent to your phone to access your account. adds an extra step to your login process; however, that means it will be twice as difficult to get into your gmail account. Combine this method with gmail encryption and hackers will have a very hard time breaking into your account.
Please note that Google will have access to your phone number, which some of you may not like. try using a burner sim (which is simply a spare sim card that you can use to receive access messages). that will hide your real number from google and keep you a bit more private.
If you click on a suspicious link or open a malicious attachment sent to your email address, there is a high chance that your device or gmail app will be infected with malware. however, it’s easy to learn to recognize phishing attempts and identify which email attachments are generally safe to open.
Phishing emails and messages are on the rise year after year and can be pretty brutal. In 2015, a spear phishing campaign brought down an entire power plant in Ukraine. Even Apple and Meta have been duped by phishing emails, when they handed over user data to hackers posing as fake cops. in other cases, ordinary people have lost savings and retirement funds to hackers posing as bank officials and postal companies.
all the gmail encryption in the world won’t help if you’re using outdated software. Sometimes the security of your gmail app depends on the security of your device. make sure to update your operating system and browser regularly. the latest updates often patch vulnerabilities that hackers can use to gain access to your device.
Software updates can also reveal new features in an application or program, as well as protect your data with vital security updates. so it’s always a good idea to keep all your devices running the latest software. our blog post will tell you what to remember before upgrading your software, as well as some tips on how to protect your privacy online.
To improve gmail security, keep an eye on your gmail account for suspicious activity, as well as what devices are connected where. Sometimes hackers secretly extract your information without leaving clear signs that someone has access to your account. follow these steps regularly to check if your gmail hasn’t been hacked.
if you need to check your emails on a public wifi network, make sure you use a vpn. it will encrypt your traffic so that hackers snooping on your traffic can’t see your data or try to guess victims’ ip addresses.
In fact, most of us still don’t know how dangerous public Wi-Fi can be. when you connect to public wifi everything you do online can be seen by the service provider. If a hacker was sitting nearby, he could intercept what he is doing online and steal his data.
nordvpn encrypts your internet connection when you turn on the app, meaning everything you do online stays truly private and secure. Hackers will try to find out everything about their victims, including their IP addresses. so always use a vpn when you are in cafes, airports, hotels and shopping malls, it could prevent your accounts from being hacked.
In addition, Nordvpn’s Threat Protection feature will also help you identify malware-laden files, prevent you from accessing malicious websites, and block intrusive ads and trackers on the spot.
Go through Google’s security checklist and see if there’s anything else you can change in your settings to improve gmail’s security. If you’re absolutely focused on privacy, try these email providers that give you encrypted messages. however, switching email providers can be a hassle. If you want to stick with Gmail, it doesn’t hurt to investigate Google’s security checklist.
protect your gmail account with nordvpn, providing the best online privacy there is.