How to prevent your Gmail account from being stolen

Gmail is one of the most used email managers worldwide. Surely you use it daily to view personal and work emails. If so, one of your biggest fears may be having your account stolen. Currently, and taking into account its popularity, Hackers are on the prowl to gain as much control as possible of yourpersonal ents. Therefore, it is in your power to prevent this, in addition to avoiding fraudulent emails, spam or phishing.

Now, how to do it? How to prevent your Gmail account from being stolen? Keep reading to learn everything you should keep in mind.

Activate XNUMX-Step Verification

Gmail has had a two-step verification system for a long time, one of the best ways to prevent your account from being stolen. Until relatively recently, we only had a single layer of security to protect the account: the password. Now, thanks to two-step verification, in the event that a cybercriminal manages to obtain the access key, You will need a second step to access the account. In this case we are referring to the telephone number.

If you want to activate two-step verification, the first step you have to take is to enter here and follow the steps that appear. Try to do this at home, on a secure computer, always avoiding doing it on public computers or in places with open public WiFis. Always check that the “https” protocol appears in the address bar.

Once two-step verification is activated, you will need to enter your phone. Google will only use your number to protect your account, so don't be afraid because it won't use it for any other purpose. After this, you will have to enter the code received via text message to complete the operation. Please note that by activating this function, The process to log into your account will be very different. In this way, from that moment on, when you log in you will have to enter your password as usual, although a code will then be sent to your device via SMS or a voice call.

Update recovery options to your account

It is good to always have additional measures in case Google detects suspicious activity on your account, or a hacker steals it from you. In this sense, it is essential to add other recovery options, such as a phone number or email address. This way, if your account fell into the wrong hands or you forgot your password, you would have support to recover it again.

To add an additional number or email, enter in your Google account, go to security and Methods to verify your identity. Once you have added them, you will no longer have to worry if it is lost or stolen, since you will receive an email at the indicated address with the steps to reset it. Google will also use the selected number to contact you if suspicious activity is detected, or if your account is accidentally blocked. Of course, make sure that the number you add can receive SMS. That is, it should only be your property and that you use it regularly.