Gmail: Optimize security - the best tips

You can make your Gmail mailbox more secure with various tricks. We will show you step by step how to optimize security on this page.

Protect your Gmail mailbox in the best possible way

After the hacking attack on Hillary Clinton's mailbox, Google has improved and set up more extensive security standards for its mail service Gmail. Under "Advanced Security" you can activate the settings.
The new protection promises the best possible defense against hacker attacks and is primarily intended for those who can become targeted victims of hackers. These include campaign managers and politicians. But everyone else can make their account more secure.
We'll show you the new security features in detail in the next section. If you really want to make your Gmail account secure, Google gives you the option here.

Protection against phishing e-mails is particularly high: hackers attempt to obtain the access data for the mail account via a link or a file in the e-mail. Google is tightening the security of two-factor authentication: If you want to log on to a new computer, you need a physical USB security key and a Bluetooth security key. A code by SMS or email as before is not enough.
No permissions for apps: Many apps can access the emails, for example to send feedback to the app developer by email. Many apps can also access Drive, for example to store photos there. That makes mails and drives vulnerable. With the "Extended security" function, Google blocks all other apps from accessing mail and Drive. You can only access the data after logging in via the Gmail and Drive app, as well as via the browser.

You should definitely use two-factor authentication. The two physical security keys are the safest. SMS verification would be significantly weaker and therefore only a minimum.
Do the Google security check: This is where Google checks the security of your account and shows you any weak points.
Change your password at least once a year and choose a very secure password.
Do not use the same password for Gmail as for other accounts. If you cannot remember so many passwords, a password manager will be happy to do it for you. Even complicated passwords are no problem.
Check the Google security page every now and then to see which apps are linked to your account and which devices you have signed in to. If you no longer use an app or a device, remove it.
You should also keep an eye on Google privacy: Which data does Google know? Here you should deactivate "Social recommendations" and "Location sharing" so that Google does not collect as much detail from you.
Open the settings in Gmail and check whether all addresses are "Send as". You should also check "Allow the following users to access my account" and the forwarding function for entries.
You should also update your browser regularly. Known security gaps are often closed.

On the next page we show how Gmail compares with other mail providers in terms of "security".