Gmail, with an estimated 3 billion users worldwide, has become a crucial email platform that many rely on every day. But when you log in, you also gain access to other Google services including Calendar, Chrome, Docs, Drive, Maps, Photos, and Sheets. It is this convenience, coupled with the valuable personal and financial data contained in your inbox, that makes Gmail a magnet for hackers. Your Gmail password is like a key that unlocks your information, and if it falls into the wrong hands, it could put your data and contacts at risk. Here’s how to check if your account has already been compromised and, if so, what you need to do to recover it.
How To Spot If Your Gmail Has Been Hacked
The good news is that Google has a whole host of robust security protocols in place to prevent account compromise, not least by the application of automated threat detection tools, including AI-powered ones these days, and resources that users can employ to strengthen security from their side of the fence, such as advanced account protection.
Yet cybercriminals and hackers still manage to break into Gmail accounts regularly, and you could be the next victim. But how do you know if your Google password has been compromised and your Gmail is now accessible to whoever has this critical account-opening key? Here’s the truth of the matter, which differs from what you might think if you peruse online support forums: not all attackers will immediately lock you out of your account by changing the password. This does happen, of course, but it’s not the one and only sign that your Gmail is under attack. A stalker who has compromised your account won’t want to show their insidious hand; an advanced persistent threat actor looking to glean the maximum data value from your messaging won’t either. There are, however, a couple of ways to spot if someone is accessing your Gmail without your consent.
- Assuming you can access your Gmail, if you can’t because your password has been changed, then move straight to the recovery advice later in this article, scroll to the bottom right of the window for the “last account activity” box and click on “details” if it shows Gmail is open in any other locations than the one you are accessing it from. This will open an activity report window that shows the current and recent locations from which your account has been accessed. Click on any you do not recognize for more information.
- Next, from that same activity information window, click on the Security Check-up link. This will open a new browser window, and one of the options listed will be ‘Your Devices,” which will display information on every device that has access to your Google account. This enables you not only to see exactly what, and potentially who, in the case of a stalker, can access your Gmail, be that by way of a laptop or smartphone, but also to sign them out immediately.
How To Recover A Compromised Gmail Account
If your Gmail has been hacked, or you find yourself locked out of your Google account for whatever reason, there’s a helpful official online guide to recovering access in just a few simple steps.
Just head over to Google’s account recovery pages with your usual device and browser, and enter your Gmail address. Make sure it’s a device you’ve previously used to sign in and that you’re doing so from a familiar location. Next, answer Google’s questions as best as you can, and if you don’t remember your password (hint: use a password manager) then try a previous one or make your best guess as Google suggests. You might receive a security code via your recovery email, phone, authenticator app or a direct prompt on your device. When prompted, simply reset your password.
