Warning To 2.5 Billion Gmail Users Over Data Breach-Linked Phishing Attacks

Google had issued a warning to Gmail users after reports of a massive data breach came to light in June. Although it happened in June, Google acknowledged the incident on August 5 and began notifying affected users on August 8. The data of up to 2.5 billion people was exposed, as the company urged users to change their passwords immediately. The breach gave hacker group, known as ShinyHunters, access to information such as contact details, company names and email addresses.

"The data retrieved by the threat actor was confined to basic and largely publicly available business information, such as business names and contact details," the company said.

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Google had confirmed that no passwords were stolen during the breach. But if you're one of the 2.5 billion people who use Gmail, you are now at risk of phishing attempts. Particularly, users of Google services, including Gmail and Google Cloud, are at risk.

According to the tech company, scammers are impersonating Google employees, calling or texting users to reset passwords or provide login codes.

Google has warned all users not to trust unsolicited messages or calls claiming to be from Google.

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Users have started to report attempted attacks. One user on Reddit wrote, "This is the second time this email has sent a mail delivery subsystem email to me this week. I changed my password after the first time to be safe and didn't click on the link. Assuming it's phishing?"

"It says I'm trying to send an email to [my real email]@google.com and failing."

"Am I good as long as I don't click the link or is it something more sinister? I don't like that it's happened twice. My credit report always shows that my email is somewhere on the dark web but I have no idea what to do with that information."

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Google has recommended these tips to protect your Gmail account:

• Strong password: Use a unique and complex password for your account.
• Two-factor authentication (2FA): Add an extra layer of security with 2FA or passkeys.
• Google's Advanced Protection Program: This programme provides additional security features to block malicious downloads and restrict non-Google app access.
• Google's Security Checkup: Identify vulnerabilities and follow recommendations to secure your account.