Google is the biggest online network on the internet today. Google has more services than any other similar website. It provides services including Search, YouTube, Mail, Maps, Images, Play Store, Drive, Docs, Translate, News etc. for public use. Out of all these, Gmail (or Google mail) is a service to provide facility of e-mail address used to send and receive emails online. Daily millions of peoples whether they are businessmen or ordinary people, all use gmail for checking their emails.Beside this, nothing is safe online. Major companies keep a track on your activities on the internet. They steals your information and in the same way, they can use your information to harm you. Privacy is the most concerned things on which we should take a look for once.
Today, I’ll tell you some tips which will help protect gmail account from unauthorized access even if your password has been stolen by anyone. That person will still not be able to log in into your Gmail account. I will tell you how you can put two layers of security on your account so that if someone knows your email password, he’ll not able to access your account.
What is 2-Step Verification method and how it works?
It is a second security layer introduced for email address to keep them safe from unauthorized access if someone knows email password. This method is called 2-Step verification which was introduced by Google itself last year.
2-Step Verification method needs your registered mobile phone number to verify your real identity. Whenever user try to login into his email account with CORRECT password, it sends a verification code to his registered phone number. After that user need to fill that code on gmail authorization page asking for code.
What to do if you didn’t receive code?
This facility of extra layer proves sometimes wrong when we don’t have our phone with us or don’t receive verification code for some reason. In such situation, you can use backup codes which you generated earlier. If not, do it now.
Steps to enable 2-Step Verification in gmail:-
i. Simply Login to your gmail account.
This is first step to follow. After login, google will know for which you are going to setup 2-Step Verification.
ii. Simply search for Enable 2-Step Verification.
(So that you don’t mess with long steps)
iii. Follow on-screen steps and get your job done.
Fill up verification code.
You can tell Google to trust your computer and don’t ask for code every time you login.
What to do if don’t receive verification code.
You can generate backup code for emergency if you don’t have your phone with yourself or having problems receiving codes.
Go to the same page where you enabled the 2-Step Verification process. Scroll down. In the BACKUP OPTIONS section, you can add both, alternative phone number as well as download backup codes.
Note: You will receive 10 codes. You can use each backup code for one time. After that it is useless.
If you don’t have backup codes downloaded, you need to choose traditional methods to recover your account then.
This is the method which I use on my main email accounts because it ensures an extra layer of security for my email address. I usually receives codes asking to fill verification codes in the login panel while I didn’t try to login.
Tips to save yourself from loosing your google account:-
- Change your password periodically.
- Never have the same password on all of your accounts whether it is on facebook, twitter, google+ or anywhere else.
- Use combination of at least 3 different words falling under different categories, one number and one sign. BruteForce is dependent on this method only. Hackers uses dictionary attack by using dictionary words to log into your account.
Thanks reader.
