Has your Gmail account been compromised? Here's how to stay safe

The menace of cyber crimes like hacking, IP spoofing and stealing of passwords is on the rise. Often many of us discover that our Gmail accounts have been compromised or hacked. Thus, it is extremely important for you to stay cautious if you notice the following things:

- Your contacts receive suspicious messages from your email address.

- You realise that contacts or emails are missing.

- You receive a warning about suspicious activity taking place from your account. But even then, you needn’t worry. Wondering why we asked you to stay calm? The reason is, some protocol by tech giant Google will help you regain access to your account. Here’s how:

If you can still sign in to your account, follow the steps in the security checklist to help protect your account in the future.

1. Secure your password 2. Update your account recovery options 3. Check your account for unusual activity 4. Ensure your email goes where you want it to 5. Check if your computer is infected with malware 6. Make sure you access 2-step verification

But if you can’t log in to your account, then someone might have changed your sign-in credentials. In such a scenario, you need to fill in Google’s account recovery form. And if you haven’t turned on your 2-step, then it can take around 3 - 5 business days to complete the account recovery process.