Minnesota, USA February 10, 2011- Hackers have been around for as long as the internet has, yet e-mail providers added little to the service to help ensure user account security.
Finally, there may be a time when people can say 'goodbye' to the fear of someone else gaining control of their account and launching harmful information to everyone on the contact lists. At least this is the impression Google gives as it recently implemented a two-step log-in. It takes the knowledge of a password as well as the access to the user's cellphone to gain access to the account.
Perhaps Google may gain a few users, most notably the individuals who were the victims of hackers who sent off racy pictures of the victims to all the contact lists. If Google's actions are any indication, other e-mail providers will follow suit with similar security measures added to accounts accessed by computer or even phone. The simple ways of typing in a code to verify a human is trying to access the account is not enough as hackers' ways are becoming more complex.
The threat of hacking does not only come from strangers over the internet but also from those who are able to gain physical access by using the same computer. Individuals with ill intentions use a software known as a keylogger to record every key stroke. In this way, it is unlikely for users to see this software as it is hidden because users are not looking for it. The way to prevent this activity is to change settings to limit software installation.
If still hesitant about Gmail's security, anyone can make a password that consists of more than just upper and lower-case letters and numbers by adding several symbols as well. Another tip is to limit the use of full words or consist of part of words that are related to personal interests or anything else that can be easily discovered on social networks.
Although ordinary people are typically not targets of hacking, any level of risk should be noted as significant enough as the damage inflicted by the hacker is extreme. Individuals with these hints can protect themselves just as businesses do. However, there is no perfect way to guarantee that a hacker will not take over your account and also ruin many aspects of your life.
