Google has urged Gmail users to update their passwords and increase account security after a series of “successful intrusions” by hackers, informs New York Post.
The company advises to monitor suspicious activity more closely and configure additional security measures, including two-factor authentication, if it is not already activated.
Hackers most often gain access to mailboxes through phishing emails with fake login pages or by spoofing two-factor authentication codes. Although most users use strong and unique passwords, only a third change them regularly.
Google is recommending increased security after the recent hack of its Salesforce database, which led to the theft of mostly public data — including the contacts of small and medium-sized businesses. According to the company, the ShinyHunters group, known since 2020 for high-profile attacks on AT\&T, Microsoft, Santander and Ticketmaster, can prepare new hacks and blackmail victims by launching its own website for downloading stolen information.
Google emphasizes that attackers are using new attack methods that are aimed at increasing the pressure on victims, including those affected by the recent Salesforce incidents. The company has already sent an email to all users affected by the attack. Google urges you to regularly check activity in your own accounts, avoid suspicious links and report any dangerous activity.
