



Step 2: Give your Google account a second layer of protection Then use this link to go change your password immediately - preferably to something long, complex, and not involving any easily discoverable personal info, any common words or patterns, or anything you use anywhere else. If the answer to any of those questions is yes, first, bop yourself firmly on the nose. Do you use your Google password (or any variation of it) to sign into any other app, website, or service?.Is your Google password short - less than eight characters, at a minimum?.Does your Google password revolve around a common word or easily guessable pattern?.Is your Google password based on your name, the name of your partner or child, your birthday, your street address, or anything else someone could easily figure out by Googling you?.We'll start with something simple but supremely important - that aforementioned Google account password. Part I: Reinforce your front door Step 1: Check up on your Google account password Take 10 minutes to go through these steps, then rest easy knowing your Google account is as guarded as can be. With something as priceless as your personal data, that single key is only the start of a smart security setup. Whether you're using Google for business, personal purposes, or some combination of the two, you want to do everything you possibly can to keep all of that information locked down and completely under your control.Īnd guess what? Having a password that you hastily set seven years ago isn't enough. I mean, really: When you stop and think about how much stuff is associated with that single sign-in - your email, your documents, your photos, your files, your search history, maybe even your contacts, text messages, and location history, if you use Android - saying it's a "sensitive account" seems like an understatement. Your Google account falls into that second category, maybe even with a couple of asterisks and some neon orange highlighting added in for good measure. There are important accounts to secure, and then there are important accounts to secure.
