Week 2 of Cyber Security Awareness Month is underway and we are on to the next topic in our ‘Have you been hacked?’ series. This week is all about securing your email accounts. We particularly focus on Gmail and Outlook (live, Hotmail, MSN), however, you can take this article as general advice to apply to any email account.
The Australian Cyber Security Centre recommends taking these steps to secure your email account:
- Change your password
- Update your account recovery details
- Sign out of all other sessions
- Enable multifactor authentication (MFA)
- Check your mail settings for anything suspicious or that you don’t feel comfortable with
- Check third-party application access
- Check log-in activity
While this may feel like a lot of steps, there is no need to stress as the ACSC has broken it down into easy steps for both Outlook and Gmail. If you are unsure where to start, read on and jump over to these guides to get started on securing your email accounts.
How do I secure my Outlook?
How to check your Outlook email account security →
Click on the link above to head to the ACSC website and discover their full step-by-step tutorials to secure your Outlook account.
How do I secure my Gmail?
How to check your Gmail email account security →
Click on the link above to head to the ACSC website and discover their full step-by-step tutorials to secure your Gmail account.
Why do I need to secure my email?
The less secure your email account is, the more susceptible you are to a breach. If your email account is compromised, you – and potentially your contacts – are at risk of identity theft and bank account or credit card fraud. This can lead to your email account being involved in a scam or cyber attack.
There are a variety of ways for a hacker to use your email account and, in some cases, you will not even be aware your account is compromised. Once a bad actor is in, they are able to impersonate you for their gain, whether that is contacting your bank, clients, family, or other contacts. They may demand money, spread fake news, or use your identity to run a phishing scam to access more accounts.
Remember, your email is generally used to authorise other accounts you own such as online shopping and social media. A cybercriminal gaining access to your email account can result in password resets for a multitude of other online accounts.
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