📝 usncan Note: Google Issues Critical Update For All 2.5 Billion Gmail Users
Disclaimer: This content has been prepared based on currently trending topics to increase your awareness.
Do not believe the headlines.
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In a surprise move, a Google update has just slammed viral headlines warning of a mass Gmail data breach as “entirely false.” Google and Gmail newsfeeds have been littered for days with stories suggesting a warning has been issued from 2.5 billion. It’s not true. But Google also issued some critical advice for users on protecting their accounts.
Google’s almost unprecedented decision to warn all 2.5 billion Gmail users to ignore headline claims (1,2,3) of a mass data breach was prompted by the news getting “out of hand.” Prior to Google’s update, the fake news showed little sign of slowing down.
In a Workspace blog On Monday, Google posted that “several inaccurate claims surfaced recently that incorrectly stated that we issued a broad warning to all Gmail users about a major Gmail security issue. This is entirely false.”
But Google also cautioned users that “it’s always the case that phishers are looking for ways to infiltrate inboxes,” assuring that “our protections continue to block more than 99.9% of phishing and malware attempts from reaching users.”
The blog came a day after Google told me “several inaccurate claims surfaced this week incorrectly claiming we issued a broad warning to all Gmail users about a major Gmail security issue. This is entirely false.” But two days later, even Google News still brands the story as “Google warns Gmail users of data breach, urges password changes.”
The danger in conflating different stories into a data breach that never was is that users become inured to the real advice. It’s true that most Google account holders do not update passwords regularly — which they should. And it’s also true that most Gmail users should add passkeys to their email and other accounts.
Google reiterated this advice in its fake news update: “For additional protection, we encourage users to use a secure password alternative like passkeys.” It would be good to think that some good will come out of this furor. And if millions more of Gmail’s 2.5 billion users take this opportunity to add passkeys, it will be worth it.
Google’s own research says only 34% of U.S. account holders use passkeys. And so perhaps that’s the real critical update from Google here — to add a passkey now, rather than the short-term news cycle which will fade within days and soon be forgotten.
As ever with passkey advice, it’s also imperative to remind users that even if you add a passkey, your password remains a vulnerability if it provides access to your account. That’s why Microsoft and others recommend deleting passwords, albeit Google isn’t there yet. Make sure your password is strong and unique and that you enable two-step verification using something other than SMS. An authenticator app is fine.
