--- title: "Google Security: learn how to make your Gmail secure" description: "Guest blog article written by Steve Loosley, Tech Blogger Is your Gmail secure? Can you tell if someone hacks your account? In this short serie" image: https://www.people-onthego.com/hs-fs/file-15482895-png/images/security_1.png --- - [Home](https://www.people-onthego.com/) - [Contact Us](https://www.people-onthego.com/company/) - [Blog](https://www.people-onthego.com/blog/) [![pog_logo_on_white_tall](https://www.people-onthego.com/hs-fs/file-2213160099-jpg/people-onthego/pog_logo_on_white_tall.jpg)](https://www.people-onthego.com/) ![Less Is More Blog Productivity Tips](https://www.people-onthego.com/hs-fs/file-15411125-jpg/Top%20pictures/pog_top_5.jpg) ### Join us at the Webinars **[![2021_Webinars_Schedule_People-OnTheGo](https://www.people-onthego.com/hs-fs/hubfs/2021_Webinars_Schedule_People-OnTheGo.jpg?width=163&name=2021_Webinars_Schedule_People-OnTheGo.jpg)](https://www.people-onthego.com/webinars)** **[Click for our Webinars Schedule.](https://www.people-onthego.com/webinars)** ### The Perfect 15-Minute Day Method is here! 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Can you tell if someone hacks your account? In this short series of posts, I want to help you make sure that your Google Account is secure. I want to show you how to know if someone hacks your account.  In this post, we’ll focus on Gmail and in the next, your Google Account settings. First, I want to show you how you can tell if someone else is checking your email.  **Gmail Account Activity**  Gmail records how, where, and when your mail is checked. To check your **Last account activity**, look for the following at the bottom of your Gmail screen and click on **Details**  ![describe the image](https://www.people-onthego.com/hs-fs/file-15482895-png/images/security_1.png) A new window will open, like the screenshot below, displaying the *Access Type*, *Location* (IP address), and *Date/Time*. Scan the rows. Does anything look suspicious — unauthorized concurrent sessions, unexplainable locations or times, or unknown devices? For example, if you normally access your email from California, but the *Location* field shows that your account was accessed from another state or country, this is a red flag that someone else has access to your account. Make sure that the **Alert preference** is set to **Show an alert for unusual activity**. ![security 2 resized 600](https://www.people-onthego.com/hs-fs/file-15483115-png/images/security_2-resized-600.png) **Gmail Settings** Next, let’s verify your Gmail settings. Click on the cog in the upper right corner of your Gmail screen and select **Mail settings** from the drop-down menu, like this screenshot. ![security 3](https://www.people-onthego.com/hs-fs/file-15483303-png/images/security_3.png) In the **General** tab, make sure that the Browser connection is set to **Always use https**. This setting protects your information from being stolen when you're signing in to Gmail on a public wireless network, like at a coffee shop or hotel. Here's a screenshot.  ![security 4](https://www.people-onthego.com/hs-fs/file-15483615-png/images/security_4.png?width=460&height=263&name=security_4.png) Next, let’s examine the key settings to make sure that no one has hacked your account and hijacked your mail. Again, on the **Mail settings** page, click on - **General**: check your **Signature**, and **Vacation** **responder**.  - **Accounts and Import**: verify your settings under **Send mail as**, which includes checking your **reply-to** **address**, **Check mail using POP3**, and **Grant access** **to your account**. - **Filters**: Check that no **filters** are sending your mail to Trash, Spam, or forwarding to an unknown account.  - **Forwarding and POP/IMAP**: Make sure that your mail isn't sent to an unknown account or mail client, like happened in this summer’s Chinese Gmail scandal. Finally, be aware of phishing scams ([read about phishing in Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing)) that redirect you to websites that look like Gmail log-in pages, but are really rogue sites to trick you in to entering your Gmail address and password. For example, [this graphic](http://www.scribd.com/doc/56939105/What-the-Chinese-hackers-fake-Gmail-logins-looked-like) shows what the fake site looked like that tricked many users this summer. Here are a few things to remember to avoid phishing scams. 1. The URL for Gmail should be [https://mail.google.com/](https://mail.google.com/)... Check the top of your web browser, and if it’s anything else, use extreme caution.  2. Avoid clicking on a URL that is disguised in an email. Hackers disguise dubious websites by not showing the URL. So, don’t click on this, but do click on this - http://www.example.com.  3. Never send sensitive information by email. To be safe, assume that your email may be snooped. To sum-up, if you keep close watch on your Account Activity and occasionally check your key settings, you’ll be well on your way to securing your Gmail. **In the comments below, let me know what works for you. How do you keep your Gmail secure?** # Additional Resources [Gmail Security Checklist](https://mail.google.com/support/bin/static.py?page=checklist.cs&tab=29488) - Google Help Document [Managing and Organizing Your E-mail Inbox--Using Google Apps](https://www.people-onthego.com/time-management-e-mail-outlook-excel-word-powerpoint-sharepoint/managing-your-inbox-in-google-apps/) - People-OnTheGo webinar [Inbox Freedom](https://www.people-onthego.com/time-management-e-mail-outlook-excel-word-powerpoint-sharepoint/inbox-freedom/) - People-OnTheGo webinar  Topics: [Gmail](https://www.people-onthego.com/blog/topic/gmail), [Technology](https://www.people-onthego.com/blog/topic/technology), [email management](https://www.people-onthego.com/blog/topic/email-management) ### Subscribe by Email [![Need an employee training solution that's flexible and affordable? 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