What to expect in this Chapter:
> What is this book about?
> Who is this book for?
> How should I use this book?
> What services do Google offer?
> Why do I need to protect my account?
We are spending more and more time on the internet, putting our data out there in online services. Some of the most trusted services are those provided by Google. While most of what they offer is free, much of what they provide can become invaluable to save time and money in our everyday lives.
When Gmail is used (as with any email provider), it can become a hub for using other websites and services outside as well as in Google. For example if I forget my password for a shopping website, I can get my password sent to me or change it by getting the website to send an email to my Gmail account. Without precautions, this can become a security risk. If an unauthorized user were to gain access to my Gmail account, they could have free rein to get into any website where I have used my Gmail email address - just by asking websites to recover my password. The password gets sent to my email account, they open the email and change the password. The hacker would then delete the recovery email so I would be none the wiser that anyone else has access to my Gmail or that another website is compromised. Depending on how that shopping website was set-up, it could even have my credit card details in it too.
If I protect my Gmail account (and therefore all Google services), it blocks the unauthorized user from using that avenue to get hold of my data, or even using my Gmail account to try and trick my contacts into giving away their information.
Protecting your email account from identity thieves, scammers and hackers should be a priority when dealing with online safety. This applies to all email accounts from all providers and is the first step to securing your personal and financial information across the web.