A Manchester-based cyber security architect named Chris Plummer reported last week receiving a malicious Gmail message that looked to come from a trusted source. The mail appeared official because it included the UPS logo and a verification symbol. Plummer reported the problem to Google, but his concerns were originally rejected. But after Plummer brought it up on Twitter, Google looked into it more thoroughly.
Google has now admitted that there was a security flaw in Gmail that allowed imposters to use authentic company logos in spam messages.
The problem has been resolved, and measures are being taken to prevent a recurrence. The recent Google phishing sensitivity issue shows that not even the most secure email services are completely safe from intrusion. Keep an eye out for anything that seems fishy in your inbox at all times.
Some precautions to take against phishing attempts are as follows:
- Any email that specifically requests sensitive information like passwords or bank account details should be treated with suspicion.
- Never open attachments from unknown senders.
- Hovering over a link in an email will reveal its full URL, which might help you determine its legitimacy.
- Put all of your passwords into a secure password manager.
- Make sure you’re always running the most recent version of your program.
