Thousands of email accounts are at risk as Google tries to enforce stricter rules on Gmail users . The company announced in May that starting in December it would delete accounts that haven't been activated for two years — encouraging users to sign in if they want to keep their email address.
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The tech giant said that accounts that continued to exist, even though they were not being used, exposed users to “security threats, such as spam, phishing , and hacked accounts.”
“If an account has not been used for a long time, it is more likely to be compromised. This is because cybercriminals often choose old or reused passwords for forgotten or neglected accounts, which may already have been compromised. Additionally, they usually do not have two-factor authentication enabled and receive fewer security checks from the user.“
Abandoned accounts were at least 10 times less likely than active accounts to have two-factor authentication enabled.
“Specifically, these accounts are often vulnerable, and once an account is compromised, it can be used for anything from identity theft to opening up unwanted or even malicious content, such as spam..”
Any content included in Google Workspace, including Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar, and Google Photos, and the content they contain, may be deleted.
See also: Gmail: Strengthens defenses against phishing and malware from 2024
Only personal accounts will be affected, while school or business accounts will remain unaffected. Google said the update is in line with its policy and industry standards for account retention and deletion. It also limits the amount of time Google keeps unused personal information.
Users were not expected to start being affected before December, with the company insisting it would implement the changes “slowly and carefully.”.
“We will take a phased approach, starting with accounts that were created and never used again,” the company said.
“Before deleting an account, we will send multiple notifications in the months leading up to deletion to the account email address and recovery, if registered.“
See also: How to keep your emails encrypted in Gmail
Features that make Gmail stand out
One of the key features of Gmail that can help maximize efficiency is labels. Labels allow you to organize your emails into different categories or topics, offering a flexible way to manage your incoming messages. For example, you can create a label called 'Work', where you will store all your work-related emails. This way, you can quickly access these emails and stay organized.
Another important feature of Gmail is filters. Filters allow you to automate the management of incoming messages by assigning specific actions to them. For example, you can create a filter that will automate the archiving of all emails coming from a specific address. This will save you time and effort as Gmail will perform this action automatically for you.
Finally, Gmail's search feature is one of its most powerful features. You can use various filters and criteria to search for specific emails, such as sender, keywords, date, etc. This allows you to quickly find the messages you need and save time searching through Inbox .
Source: news.com.au
