Nearly 5 million Gmail passwords were put online on a Russian forum on Wednesday, something that Google has called on his blog security "as one of the unfortunate realities of the Internet to today " . But what can you do about it?
Want to know if your Gmail account has been compromised? Some technology sites will help you check this using a tool on a website named IsLeaked.com . On this site, you enter your Gmail address, and then the tool will show whether or not your user name and password have been publicly disclosed.
But should you use this tool, and trust him?
The site indicates that it does not collect e-mail addresses that are indicated. For added protection, it says it also allows the user to replace up to three letters in his e-mail address by asterisks. He gives this example: myaccount@gmail.com. You can enter myac***nt@gmail.com. This fragment e-mail address is used to search for patterns.
"We respect your privacy," said the site. But some, like blogger James Watt, are wary of the site. Why? Because the first evidence of flight on a Russian forum dates back to September 9. However, the site was created IsLeaked according Watt , September 8.
TheNextWeb also advised to avoid using IsLeaked.com just in case the addresses can be used for spamming later.
IsLeaked.com was highlighted by a Russian search engine. The creators of IsLeaked.com indicate that the leak came on Sept. 7, and the site was designed in stride, with a "small team of computer specialists," and for which we do not know the names of people or the place where they live. "We decided to translate our English website for people who want to be able to check their emails because Gmail is a worldwide" write the creators IsLeaked.
If you want a safer way, you do not have to check if your account has been compromised or not. You can simply update your password, but consider avoiding those on this list because they are considered the most vulnerable of words going on. For added security, you might consider establishing an audit system in two stages with your Gmail account, which would require another source of verification if anyone has tried to log into your account from an unknown device .
As to the extent of the leak, Google wrote on his blog that less than 2% of user names and passwords were actually valid . He also said that his "anti-hijacking systems have blocked many login attempts" . The waiter took steps to protect the accounts, requiring that users reset passwords.
Google also said that the leak was not the result of a breach of its own system. "Often, these credentials are obtained by a combination of other sources," said Google.
Want to know if your Gmail account has been compromised? Some technology sites will help you check this using a tool on a website named IsLeaked.com . On this site, you enter your Gmail address, and then the tool will show whether or not your user name and password have been publicly disclosed.
But should you use this tool, and trust him?
The site indicates that it does not collect e-mail addresses that are indicated. For added protection, it says it also allows the user to replace up to three letters in his e-mail address by asterisks. He gives this example: myaccount@gmail.com. You can enter myac***nt@gmail.com. This fragment e-mail address is used to search for patterns.
"We respect your privacy," said the site. But some, like blogger James Watt, are wary of the site. Why? Because the first evidence of flight on a Russian forum dates back to September 9. However, the site was created IsLeaked according Watt , September 8.
TheNextWeb also advised to avoid using IsLeaked.com just in case the addresses can be used for spamming later.
IsLeaked.com was highlighted by a Russian search engine. The creators of IsLeaked.com indicate that the leak came on Sept. 7, and the site was designed in stride, with a "small team of computer specialists," and for which we do not know the names of people or the place where they live. "We decided to translate our English website for people who want to be able to check their emails because Gmail is a worldwide" write the creators IsLeaked.
If you want a safer way, you do not have to check if your account has been compromised or not. You can simply update your password, but consider avoiding those on this list because they are considered the most vulnerable of words going on. For added security, you might consider establishing an audit system in two stages with your Gmail account, which would require another source of verification if anyone has tried to log into your account from an unknown device .
As to the extent of the leak, Google wrote on his blog that less than 2% of user names and passwords were actually valid . He also said that his "anti-hijacking systems have blocked many login attempts" . The waiter took steps to protect the accounts, requiring that users reset passwords.
Google also said that the leak was not the result of a breach of its own system. "Often, these credentials are obtained by a combination of other sources," said Google.