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In this digital age, it is essential to secure your Google account, as it's connected to numerous apps and contains personal information like emails, contacts, photos, and messages. As such, the possibility of such private information falling into the wrong hands poses a massive security risk. Hackers and cybercriminals use this information to carry out malicious activities like fraud and identity theft.
Thus, it becomes important to protect your online accounts. Google provides several tools and options that help enhance the security of your account. Using these security measures, you can help prevent any unauthorized access to your account and keep your data safe from hackers.
In this article, we will talk about five ways you can protect your Google account in 2023.
From two-factor authentication to Google Authenticator, there are a lot of ways to safeguard your Google account
1) Use a strong and unique password
Hackers take advantage of vulnerable weak passwords to get to your information, making it essential to protect it by using stronger and unique passwords.
To change your google password, head to your Google Account and go to "Security," and select "Password" under "How you sign in to Google". Follow the prompts to create a new strong and unique password and be sure to save it in your password manager. You can either use password managers like 1Password, Bitwarden, or Dashlane or store them physically by writing them down in a safe place.
2) Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)
This security feature adds an extra layer of protection to your personal information. It helps protect your account from unauthorized access by alerting you of any external login attempts, thus decreasing the chances of your Google account getting hacked.
To enable two-factor authentication or 2-Step Verification, go to your Google account; under the Security menu, you'll find "How you sign in to Google." Click on "Get started," then follow the prompts to enter how you want to use 2FA. You can use Google Authenticator, Backup codes, or Security Key. By default, you'll receive voice or text messages to your registered phone number.
After enabling this feature, you will receive a verification code the next time you sign in to your Google account.
3) Keep your software updated
It is important to keep your software up-to-date. If your browser, system OS, or apps are not updated, there is a possibility of certain vulnerabilities being left behind for hackers to exploit and get to your personal information.
Software updates contain security patches that close any loopholes that might be exploited by hackers. This ensures that your software is optimized to handle any security threats and your information is protected against any threat.
4) Use Google Authenticator
Google offers various authentication options to secure your account. One such option is to use an authenticator app to add an extra layer of protection.
To set up Google Authenticator, go to your account and then to the Security menu, where you'll find the 2-Step Verification option under "How you sign in to Google." From there, click on the Authenticator App heading and select "Set Up." If you're changing your phone, select "Change Phone." Download and open the app and follow the prompts to add your Google account to the app.
After the setup is done, your account will use Google Authenticator as a 2-Step Verification to keep it secured.
5) Exercise caution when browsing the internet
It is always wise to exercise caution while visiting different websites on the internet. Numerous malicious links, when opened, can activate executables designed to steal private information. To prevent this, avoid clicking on random pop-ups or suspicious links. Also, don't click on emails that might look suspicious, and remember to always report them as spam or phishing. This will help your email service provider take action against the sender(s).
