Google Ups Security With Devices And Activity Dashboard
Lockdown
We've all been there before, haven’t we? For some reason, your email is sending out hundreds of messages to people you've never heard of
telling them where to get ‘EXLUSIVE MEDZ’. Your Facebook is posting
competitions for vouchers and your Twitter is sending out more Tweets than Christmas
turkeys running from the block. Of the two twitter accounts I've had, both have ended up
compromised and blocked at one point or another. Heaven knows what they were tweeting
before they got shut down.
 |
| source: gizmodo.com |
Fear not though, your Google accounts should be just a touch
safer now thanks to Google's new Devices and Activities Dashboard. Released on
Monday, the new dashboard will show you every device that has been linked to
your Google account in the last 28 days. It will also show you where they are
located to boot. So if you’re not sure if that iPhone in Mexico is actually
you, you can disconnect it from your account instantly.
All you have to do when
you notice something suspicious is click on: ‘Secure Your Account’, then you’ll
be prompted to change your password, update your recovery information (security questions - hope you remembered your mother’s maiden name), check app
passwords and permissions and Google will give you the option to set up
two-step verification. Two step verification is where upon trying to log into
an account, you’ll be sent extra information via text or to an 'authenticator' which must be entered before you log in.
Also, if you don’t fancy downloading Google's new dashboard, they still offer a way to check the last device used to access your account. Naturally, though, the dashboard offers much more utility and options.
If, like me, you have many different Google accounts that you
use on numerous devices and in numerous locations then I’d strongly advise you
keeping track of your accounts with the new dashboard. Google have often taking security very seriously. Earlier
this month, with an update to the ever growing in popularity Chrome browser,
Google paid out over $41,500 (£26,400) to researchers who found bugs and
security problems in the new update. One researcher took nearly a 5th
of that amount himself for finding a flaw in the way adobe reader and Chrome
interact. Quite impressive, I wish I understood how any of that coding works.
 |
| source: celliphone.com |
Security is something that we often don’t realise is an issue until it’s too late. While I was writing this article, an old friend dropped me an email which I think fits this situation quite well. In the email she calls me ‘Shadowy Tomwelby’ (Ooh, mysterious). She also sent a link, which I don’t think I should mention on here. Oh, and a paragraph of some Late-Victorian poetry. Which is all spelled and arranged wrong. The worst part is I’m not even making this up.
May Google descend on her account and purge it from its
violators.
Tom has just graduated from University of East London in Creative and Professional Writing. He loves writing and is currently interning as content writer hoping to go further. His other loves include Arnold Schwarzenegger films and his dog. Follow him @TomAtSMF
Google Ups Security With Devices And Activity Dashboard
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Reviewed by Unknown
on
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Rating:
Unknown
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