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Google announced on Friday that Google+ users will soon begin to see Google+ posts in their Google Search results.
This feature is activated only when you’re signed in to your Google Account, according Product Manager Sagar Kamdar, who posted the announcement on the Google Search Blog.
When you’re searching Google for, say, a restaurant, you might see that some results include content shared publicly by members of your Google+ Circles.
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Google+, Google’s latest attempt at developing a popular social networking service, has users in a tizzy because of its no-negotiation policy regarding what it takes to be fake profile names.
According to ZDNet, “a striking number of Google+ accounts” were deleted over the weekend because of questionable profile authenticity. Limor Fried, ZDNet notes, had her Google account revoked–but later restored–for using the pseudonym “Ladyada” on her profile. The site also notes that another suspended user, a former Google employee nonetheless, named Kirrily “Skud” Robert, was asked to scan a photo of his photo ID to prove it was indeed him. Even William Shatner got axed from Google+: the actor, who played Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek, tweeted on July 18, “My Google+ account was flagged for violating standards. Saying hello to everyone apparently is against the rules maybe I should say goodbye?”
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The Gmail database is not congested, and Google is not asking users to confirm that their accounts are still active.
But, it seems that scammers are hoping that you might believe that’s true, according to one of the latest phishing attacks that has been spammed across the net.
Here’s what a typical email looks like:
Subject: De-Activation Alert!
Message body:
Dear Gmail Account User,Due to the congestion in our Gmail database, We will be shutting down all unused accounts before on the 30th of June. You will have to re-confirm your account as soon as possible to enable us upgrade your account before the deadline date.
To confirm your account kindly fill the account verification form.After Following the instructions in the sheet, your account will not be interrupted and will continue as normal. Thanks for your attention to this request.
[LINK]We apologize for any inconvenience.
Thanks & Regards,
Engineer.J.Williams
Upgrade Team Controller
As the link does point to a webpage hosted somewhere on Google.com, some computer users may believe that the form they are being directed to must be genuine. However, it is actually pointing to a spreadsheet on Google Docs – pages which can be created by any Tom, Dick or Harry.
And, in this case, a “Google account verification form” is attempting to trick you into handing over personal information – such as your name, full date of birth and password.
The eagle-eyed might spot the spelling mistake in the form (“confrim” rather than “confirm”) but you can hardly rely on the phishers making errors like that as a way of protecting yourself.
Why are the scammers using Google Docs to host their phishing pages?
Well, they hope that potential victims will believe it’s a genuine Google resource as it is hosted at an authentic Google URL, and that rudimentary security software won’t feel comfortable blocking the entire google.com domain. (Of course, good security software is smarter than this).
Users shouldn’t forget that a site like Gmail knows if you have been using it recently or not – because every time you log in or send an email a record is kept somewhere inside the Googleplex.
Not that Google is likely to run out of any storage space or plan to shut down any dormant email accounts any time soon by my reckoning..
Source :- http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com
Last year, Google made Gmail access via HTTPS protocol default for all account holders to add a security layer. Now, Google has introduced another security layer upgrade with an advanced opt-in feature dubbed 2-Step Verification. This 2-Step Verification feature requires using a specific code to sign in to the Gmail account. Google either calls you (only if you are in U.S., I suppose) to give that code or sends the code via SMS or generates it via a mobile app for Android, BlackBerry or iPhone device. Gmail finally gets a bank account like security feature for sign-in.
Gmail’s 2-Step Verification advanced sign-in feature is optional and would be visible to all Google account holders at Manage Account page soon. This new security feature makes your Google account more secure and most importantly Gmail out of all Google services.
The 2-Step Verification stands for its name since it requires two major credentials: your Google account password and a six digit pass code obtained using phone. This requires the user to set up the opt-in 2-Step Verification feature from the Manage Account page. During the set-up process, you’ll be required to enter your phone number and also create certain backup pass codes just in case you lose your phone or it gets stolen. After completing the 2-Step Verification setup, you ll land on to an additional page once you log into your Google account using your login ID and password.
To prevent third-party sign-in or someone sneaking into your account, make the best of 2-Step Verification. Yes, it does involve an additional extra step but it certainly secures your account. Google had been testing this feature with Google apps users and it would be available to all Google account holders over a period of time.
Interestingly, this feature is in tune with the Facebook‘s new security features implementation.
