Google warns billions of Gmail users about password hack

Google has issued warning to billions of Gmail users to update their passwords and strengthen their accounts security after a surge in successful account takeovers by password hackers.

Users are urged to take proactive steps for any suspicious activity. It is advised to set up two-factor authentication codes for extra security measures.

Hackers have been trying to access Gmail passwords by sending emails from fake pages and sharing their two-factor authentication codes.

Previously, Google Threat Intelligence Group had warned users about the widespread attacks in June.

Later on, it was revealed that hackers were targeting people through social engineering attacks.

In August, it was observed that there had been a number of “successful intrusions” as a result of breaching passwords.

A blog post by Google Threat Intelligence Group noted, “We believe threat actors using the ‘Shiny Hunters’ brand may be preparing to escalate their extortion tactics by launching a data leak site (DLS).”

“These new tactics are likely intended to increase pressure on victims, including those associated with the recent UNC6040 Salesforce related data breaches.”

Shiny Hunters is a hacker group that emerged in 2020 and has been involved in breaching high profile data.

The data suggests that the majority of users have unique passwords and only two third of them regularly update it.

Google has advised its users to strengthen their passwords and add two factor authentication to enhance security in the wake of recent hacking activities.