Your Google account includes email, photos, Drive documents, YouTube videos, and maybe even a Google Maps review or two. Between all those features, you've got a lot of important information packed away behind a single password. If it falls into the wrong hands, you're looking at a lot of unwelcome consequences.
The good news is that Google takes online security
just as seriously as you (should) do. The tech giant offers a variety
of account protection and security measures designed to keep unwelcome
visitors out while letting you easily log in.
Sign in safely
Like many other online portals, Google supports two-step verification. That means logging on to Google on a new device will require an email address, a password, and a code generated by your phone. The process places an extra barrier against anyone who might have gotten hold of your email address and password.
Sign in safely
Like many other online portals, Google supports two-step verification. That means logging on to Google on a new device will require an email address, a password, and a code generated by your phone. The process places an extra barrier against anyone who might have gotten hold of your email address and password.
To set up two-step verification, and access all of your other Google account security settings, head to the My Account
page on the web. Click the Signing into Google link, and you can
configure two-step verification, as well as changing your password and
security questions if you need to.
While
you're adjusting your security settings, double-check your recovery
email and phone number options too. These will help you regain access if
you ever find yourself locked out of your account. Of course, you also
need to make sure these accounts are well-protected and secure, or
someone could use them to force a password reset on your Google account.
Choose which devices have access
Between your smartphone, tablet, laptop, and work computer, you probably access your Google account on several devices. On the other hand, if a computer halfway across the world is logged into your account, that's a red flag that something shady is going on. So Google lets you check on the devices that are using your account.
Choose which devices have access
Between your smartphone, tablet, laptop, and work computer, you probably access your Google account on several devices. On the other hand, if a computer halfway across the world is logged into your account, that's a red flag that something shady is going on. So Google lets you check on the devices that are using your account.
Lower
down on that same Sign-in & security page, click the Manage
Settings link under the Security alerts heading. This tells Google how
you want to be notified if a new computer or mobile device accesses your
account. You can set it up to receive immediate alerts about suspicious
activity, which can make all the difference in keeping your accounts
protected.
Look under Device activity & notifications to see computers, phones and tablets with access to your account. If you see something in the list you don't recognize or that you haven't used for a long time, select it and click Remove. Don't worry about being overly cautious, because you can always sign back in on those devices if you need to.
Look under Device activity & notifications to see computers, phones and tablets with access to your account. If you see something in the list you don't recognize or that you haven't used for a long time, select it and click Remove. Don't worry about being overly cautious, because you can always sign back in on those devices if you need to.
The security page is not
the only place you can find a screen like this. There's also a link at
the bottom of your Gmail inbox that tells you where else your account is
being used. Click on the Details link in Gmail, and you can sign out of
all the other currently active sessions on the list.
We also recommend doing a regular audit of third-party apps connected to your Gmail, which again can be done from the Sign-in & security page. While these apps can be useful for improving your Gmail experience, the fewer you have connected, the better from a security standpoint. So get rid of any apps that you don't use regularly or haven't used in a long time.
Secure your smartphone
If you have an Android phone, your Google account is tied pretty tightly to it, so it's important to review your security settings here too. Whatever type of phone you have, you should be putting up barriers via its lock screen. But on Android phones, you can find some extra security settings specific to your Google account.
We also recommend doing a regular audit of third-party apps connected to your Gmail, which again can be done from the Sign-in & security page. While these apps can be useful for improving your Gmail experience, the fewer you have connected, the better from a security standpoint. So get rid of any apps that you don't use regularly or haven't used in a long time.
Secure your smartphone
If you have an Android phone, your Google account is tied pretty tightly to it, so it's important to review your security settings here too. Whatever type of phone you have, you should be putting up barriers via its lock screen. But on Android phones, you can find some extra security settings specific to your Google account.
From
the Settings app, tap Google then Security. You'll see some of the same
options we've mentioned above, as well as a few extra ones. You can,
for example, turn on the feature that lets you remotely locate your
phone from a computer, which can come in very handy if someone else gets
hold of it. We'd also advise turning the Verify apps feature on, as
this monitors for suspicious activity in the apps you've installed on
your device.
If you go to Settings then
Security, you can turn on an Android feature called Smart Lock, which
lets you specify certain places where the lock screen is disabled. That
way you don't have to bother with a password when you're in the safety
of your own home. (You can also set up your phone to be used in place of
a password on a Chromebook—perhaps a glimpse of the password-free future we can all look forward to.)
Once someone gets into your phone, apps like Gmail and Chrome are wide open, so it's important to have a lengthy PIN code or fingerprint protection in place to stop that from happening. If your devices do fall into the wrong hands, use Android Device Manager to lock and wipe them remotely before any damage is done.
Preserve your privacy
Sometimes the line gets blurred between security (keeping people out of your account) and privacy (controlling what you're sharing about yourself). Even if you set up solid layers of security to protect yourself from hackers, you might want to put walls between your online identity and Google itself, which collects lots of data about your search habits and more. Luckily, Google has plenty of options you can explore in both categories. From the My Account screen, click Personal info & privacy to make an audit of what Google knows about you.
Once someone gets into your phone, apps like Gmail and Chrome are wide open, so it's important to have a lengthy PIN code or fingerprint protection in place to stop that from happening. If your devices do fall into the wrong hands, use Android Device Manager to lock and wipe them remotely before any damage is done.
Preserve your privacy
Sometimes the line gets blurred between security (keeping people out of your account) and privacy (controlling what you're sharing about yourself). Even if you set up solid layers of security to protect yourself from hackers, you might want to put walls between your online identity and Google itself, which collects lots of data about your search habits and more. Luckily, Google has plenty of options you can explore in both categories. From the My Account screen, click Personal info & privacy to make an audit of what Google knows about you.
You'll
find lots to explore here: You can wipe your Google search history
(even if you regularly clear your browser history, Google logs your
searches independently), stop Google from tracking your location, and
even personalize the sorts of ads you see on Google services.
For example, click on Go
To Activity Controls and then click Manage Activity under YouTube
History to review and delete any searches you've carried out on the
video sharing site. Meanwhile, if you want to pause any of the
data-collecting Google is doing, use the simple toggle switches on the
Activity Controls screen. It's easy enough to sift through, and where
necessary delete, the information Google has collected about your online
habits.It ultimately comes down to how much you trust Google. For clarification on how it uses that data, you can read Google's privacy policy online. For example, those YouTube searches are used to recommend new videos you might like, and that location history lets Google do smart stuff such as tell you about commute times to the office. But it's up to you where you draw the line.
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