How to secure my account is Gmail?

Catherine Gubchik, an expert on Google products.

This question asked by many of our users. It's no secret that the online world should be very vigilant not to fall for the bait scammers. In addition to choosing a good password is a lot of ways to secure your account, which I want to share with you.

a. Do not forget, you have to go out of your account. Especially the use of computers in public places. To do this, simply click on the link ' Logout ' at the top right corner of your mailbox. If you use a computer at work and want to have additional security guarantees can also be. clean. browser cache and cookies files. Then, completely close the browser. You can also lock your PC for a short time, if the move away from him briefly through a password-protected screen saver. Learn how the best way to lock screen. Windows. or. Mac OS. here.
What to do if you forget to log out? . Last account activity. '.

2. Be wary of sending confidential information via e-mail. After sending the e-mail, you no longer have full control over the information sent. Recipients, if they so wish, can send your email to anyone or publish this content on a public forum. Even if you trust the people with whom you correspond, be aware that this information may become available to fraudsters, if your friend's account will undergo cracking. If you need to provide your credit card number or account number in the reply to the message, take a rule to do so by phone or in person.
Never tell anyone your password! .

3. Turn '. Always use HTTPS. '. Each time you visit a web page, your computer must send and receive information.
via the Internet. HTTPS is used to encrypt data during transfer them between computers on the Internet. Pay attention to the beginning of the URL when you log in to your account. Usually we use https ( secure connection ) only at the entrance to Gmail, but you can choose to use a secure connection alive. HTTPS can make your mail slower, so we give you the right to choose.

4. Be wary of unexpected files in applications. To protect you from viruses and malicious programs, Gmail automatically. scans. All applications, when they come to you, and again each time you open a message. Attachments you send are also scanned. However, no system is invulnerable. So if you receive a letter with the application, which you did not expect it before it opened, check with the sender that it is.

5. Make sure that the information you need to reset your password, the correct. This information will help you to restore access to your account if you forget your password, or if someone gets access to your account without your permission. Currently we offer several ways to restore your account. Each Gmail user to select a secret question and answer. You must choose easy to remember, but difficult to guess a combination of. Do not choose a question like ' What is my favorite color? ', So others can.
easy to guess the answer. We also encourage you to add a secondary email address and / or mobile phone number so we can send you a link to reset your password if you lose access to your account.

For more tips about securing your Google Account can be found in our. Help Center.