A new alert has been issued to Gmail users and it’s not something anyone should ignore.
Anyone with a Gmail and Google account would be wise to head to their settings without delay and switch on some simple security settings. Many of us are already well aware of online scams and the devastating consequences of falling for them, but the issue continues to grow at an alarming rate. Recent stats from the FBI have confirmed that over £12billion was lost to cyber crooks in 2024 alone with attacks rocketing by a staggering 33%.
One of the biggest issues is the ludicrously easy passwords many of us continue to use and hackers getting better at cracking accounts. It may sound unbelievable, but millions of us still use codes including “password”, “qwerty” and “123456”.
With so much money being lost to scammers, now is a very good time to make some changes, and Google is urging everyone to take note.
The US firm says it’s time we all considered moving away from standard passwords and switch to more secure technologies such as Sign in with Google and passkey.
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For those not aware, these updates login methods allow you to have fewer passwords and let you access accounts using fingerprint and facial recognition.
This technology is nothing new and has been around for a while, but it seems older people haven’t been quick to switch. It’s thought that over 60% of Gen X and Baby Boomers still use old-fashioned passwords as their primary sign-in method.
Google says that despite many being familiar with newer, more convenient methods, only about 30% use them daily, showing a reluctance to move away from legacy methods.
Unsurprisingly, younger Gen Z users are bypassing outdated security norms like passwords, opting for more advanced authentication tools.
Talking about the issue, Google’s Evan Kotsovinos, said: “We want to move beyond passwords altogether, while keeping sign-ins as easy as possible, so we strongly encourage using modern methods like Sign in with Google and passkeys, which can be stored in and synced across your devices with Google Password Manager.
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“Passkeys are phishing-resistant and can log you in simply with the method you use to unlock your device (like your fingerprint or face ID) — no password required. And when you pair the ease and safety of passkeys with your Google Account, you can then use Sign in with Google to log in to your favourite websites and apps — limiting the number of accounts you have to maintain. Gen Z’s embrace of these tools actually represents a big step forward for collective security.”
If that all sounds way too technical then another option is to enable 2-Step Verification (2SV).
This stops anyone from logging in without receiving a separate code first which is usually sent to another device owned by the account holder.
“For people who still prefer passwords, we have tools like 2-Step Verification (2SV), the Google Authenticator App and Google Password Manager — that provide a second line of defense so that a password alone can’t empower a bad actor,” Kotsovinos added.
Cyber threats are here to stay. If you don’t want to become the next victim, then it’s a good idea to follow this advice and switch away from passwords or add an extra layer of security.