Wednesday, 10 October 2012

Google warns Gmail account users of hackers

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Google is issuing a warning similar to one it had sent in June to tens of thousands of Gmail users to inform them that their accounts may be targeted by hackers. “We believe state-sponsored attackers may be attempting to compromise your account or computer," the warning reads in black text on a red banner. "Protect yourself now," a link to Google support page said.

"It's likely that you received emails containing malicious attachments, links to malicious software downloads, or links to fake websites that are designed to steal your passwords or other personal information," warns the support page. "Google's internal systems are not compromised and that this message does not refer to one specific campaign."
The page encourages users to treat all links and attachments with skepticism, ensure that they're on the real page when logging into Google and to enable 2-step verification, a recent feature that sends a unique code to the user's mobile device to be used in conjunction with their password. Users are also encouraged to keep their software and plug-ins up-to-date.
Google said the warning will be seen by tens of thousands of new users in the coming days. Malicious traffic has been heavier than the software developer expected. Based on Twitter, so far, many of the warning's recipients appear to be journalists and policy experts, noted Bits, The New York Times technology blog.

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