Google’s Critical Security Alert is an essential security feature that notifies a user every time a new or another device is used for logging in to their accounts. The person logging in could be the actual user of the account or a perpetrator.
Either way, the user of the account will receive an email from Google, prompting him or her to double-check whether the login was intended or not. If it wasn’t a user, then they should immediately check their Gmail account for any suspicious activities.
A majority of users receive these warnings, especially after purchasing a new device, when signing in from their computers at their place of work or when browsing behind a VPN server or proxy server. The former will change your IP address, and therefore Google will identify their connection as coming from a new or a different device.
But again, hackers wouldn’t be hackers if they failed to find ways of exploiting this trustworthy security feature and attempt to turn it into some form of a phishing attack. Plenty of Gmail users have, however, been reporting a couple of phishing emails that appeared to be coming from Google.
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There are several things that you should do if you receive a Google Critical Security Alert email. In case you receive one, do the following:
Have you clicked on any links, entered your details on a spoofed website, or downloaded some files? If so, then you are in trouble since hackers may already have your password or have gone ahead to install some malicious software onto your device.
If you happen to be a victim, then it is time you acted so fast. This is because hackers may be able to do the following:
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Are you particular about the security of your personal information? Many of us are. Here’s is what you should do if you have some suspicion that someone might have gotten some access to your account or somehow managed to get into your account.
A majority of people have, at some point, been a victim to hackers who have managed to get a hold of their Google accounts.
However, Google has got a security feature that alerts a user every time a new device is used for logging into their accounts. To be secure on the web, users are advised to use strong passwords or use encryption to secure online activities in case your online accounts are hacked.