Search giant Google made headlines again last week when they confirmed a cyber attack and accused Chinese hackers of instigation. Although this is not the first time Google has made such an announcement, there is concern that this latest attack may cause a security breach in the U.S. Government network, as the hacked accounts belonged to top government officials.
While there may not be a way to prevent cyber attacks altogether, both government officials and the general public can minimize the chances by sharing data via promotional USB drives when possible. However, if you only keeping data on promotional USB drives is unrealistic for you and you must keep digital copies of important information, there are a few precautions you can take in case of an attack.
To begin, make sure that you keep two email addresses on file with Google. If you think that your account has been comprised, request that they email you a new password to this secondary (and preferably non-Google hosted) address. You can also contact Google directly, but they might ask you for the date on which you originally created the account, which is probably hard for many people to remember. Lastly, be mindful of any emails from people you don’t know and think twice before opening attachments that may carry comprised files.
Sarah
Content Manager