Get to know common security threats
Get to know the most common types of security threats, and how you can avoid them.
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What hijackers do and how to avoid them
These days, much of our lives are online, so it’s more important than ever to protect your online identity.
Hijackers are bad actors who gain access to your account to steal your personal data. Some may use an account for abusive purposes, like publishing harmful material or exploiting already stolen credit cards.
To keep your account safe, never share your username and password with others and never download files or software from a source you don’t trust.
Practicing safe online habits is like locking your front door, or wearing a seatbelt. Some basic precautions can go a long way.
Phishing
Phishing is an attempt to trick you into revealing critical personal or financial information, like a password or bank details. There are a few different ways this might happen:
- A hijacker pretends to be someone else and asks you for personal information. They might fake the identity of a trusted institution or someone you know so their request seems more trustworthy.
- A hijacker claims to need sensitive information urgently in order to prevent some kind of emergency, or win a limited-time reward.
- A hyperlink says it will lead to one place but takes you to another. You may be shown a page that seems like a genuine log-in page, but saves your username and password once entered.
Don't reply to suspicious emails, phone calls, chat messages, or pop-up windows that ask for personal information. Never click suspicious links or enter personal information in questionable forms or surveys.
Password managers and security keys are powerful tools against phishing. Safe habits, like using unique passwords, can also protect you.
Learn more about phishing and how to keep your account secure.
Malware
Malware is a type of software that can gain access to your account, spy on your activity, and steal personal data like passwords.
To stay safe from malware, be sure to only download files and software from trusted sources. Avoiding untrustworthy websites, downloads, and potentially unsafe public WiFi networks is like staying away from dangerous terrain on a hike.
Google Chrome works to keep you safe by scanning documents and flagging suspicious sites. If you come across a suspicious attachment, use Chrome or Google Drive to open it. We’ll automatically scan the file and warn you if we detect a virus. In addition to Chrome’s Safe Browsing feature, which verifies that websites are safe, you can enable the Enhanced Safe Browsing feature on your Google Account, which will perform extra checks while you browse and improve overall web security to be retroactively protected from malicious sites.
Data breaches
Google is always on the lookout for security breaches – when a company’s data is stolen and may include your personal data, like your username and password.
You can take control of your data security with simple steps like 2-Step Verification, which helps prevent bad actors from hijacking your account with a stolen password. If you use Google’s Password Manager and Enhanced Safe Browsing, you’ll be alerted if one of your saved passwords is compromised.
Extra layers of security may add steps to your log-in process, but Google will strike a balance between strong protection and ease of use.
Related lessons
Learn the basics of online security
Learn about "authentication", what it means for your safety, and the inherent balance between accessing your account easily and keeping security tight enough to keep hijackers out.
Begin lessonDevice prompts and sign-in challenges
Google will sometimes use prompts during sign-in to verify your identity. Learn why this happens and what you can expect.
Begin lessonControl who and what can access your data
You are your best protector. Make sure you know who and what can access your data.
Begin lesson