How Secure is Gmail (googlemail)

blackster · 27 Jun 2006 at 15:18

Hi everyone, one question I would like to ask is "how secure is gmail"

Reason being, ive just had one of my googlemail address's hacked, someone has completely changed the password and I've had to reset it via a master email address which I had on the account.

Which leaves me to ask, that it can't be that secure can it?

The password I used was a very secure password with upper and lower case, with numbers and words and key characters also.

I also signed in on a secure page and havent got any sort of keylogger, spyware or malware on my computer and i use firefox as oppose to IE

Anyone want to shed any light? does this mean we should be changing passwords every week or what.

Jokester · 27 Jun 2006 at 15:23

How long was your password?

Jokester

blackster · 27 Jun 2006 at 15:24

above 15 letters/numbers

Werewolf · 27 Jun 2006 at 15:27

how easy was it?
Silly question I know, but some people have passwords that are really easy to guess if you know the person at all.
Also do you ever log in from a public PC? (as that may store the password/log in details)

blackster · 27 Jun 2006 at 15:28

very hard, it wasnt anything to do with a word, or date or anything, i used mixed letters and it was quite hard to remember let alone guess.

Werewolf · 27 Jun 2006 at 15:34

odd, that should have been pretty secure

blackster · 27 Jun 2006 at 15:37

yea i know, :confused:

I've reset it now, and put about a 40 digit password in to make it bullet proof, only thing is now i have to write this one down.

I've just been looking on google and theres some kind of gmail hack going about, that uses brute force on an account and all they need is a username.

how true this is, I'm not sure but I'm a little worried now.

FordPrefect · 27 Jun 2006 at 16:12

blackster said:
yea i know,

I've reset it now, and put about a 40 digit password in to make it bullet proof, only thing is now i have to write this one down.

I've just been looking on google and theres some kind of gmail hack going about, that uses brute force on an account and all they need is a username.

how true this is, I'm not sure but I'm a little worried now.

Even a >15 character password string which isnt a word or saying would take on average years to crack on one PC, although with botnets it could be done quicker. Its possible that you were just unlucky but depending upon the method used all webmail providers could be vulnerable to this type of attack. Best bet might be to get a domain name and forward your domain email to gmail that way you obscure your actual account details.