Thursday, April 30, 2009

Quick Guide: Four Easy Ways to Protect your Gmail Account

Logo GmailIf you are using Gmail as your main email account, you'll readily admit that you'd be in a tough spot if you were to lose access to it. But these things do happen, be it because you forgot your password (most likely right after changing it!) or because your archenemy (or some random joker) has been able to hijack your account. Hey, if it happened to Kanye, it could happen to anyone :)

If you have registered for various services on the web using your Gmail account, things could get really messy. "I forgot my password" links would no longer be of any use, as they send help to an account you can no longer enter. Moreover, a hijacker could use your Gmail as a gateway to gain access to your accounts on those services.

The long and short of it, really, is that it would be best if you didn't lose your Gmail account.

I did a quick search today to see what precautions I could take to protect against this and found out que you and I can reduce risks in four easy ways. (The links below work for me today; your mileage may vary.)
  1. Always use the secure https protocol (look at the bottom of the page) to communicate with Gmail.
  2. Make sure you have chosen a secret question to get your password back.
  3. Make sure you have entered a secondary address in your Gmail settings.
  4. Pick a password that is not easy to guess.

In this guide you can find additional info, including a discussion of what your options are if you find yourself in the unfortunate position of having lost access to your account.