Technologies

Gmail Hacked? How to Get Your Account Back and Tighten Your Security

Gmail accounts are being compromised in a sophisticated phishing attack. If you lost access to your account, here’s what you can do – and how to be better prepared.

Gmail users are again falling victim to a sophisticated phishing attack that is locking victims out of their accounts. While these sorts of attacks are nothing new, cybercriminals now have AI on their side to help them come up with new ways to trick people into falling for their traps.

Right now, that trickery is taking the form of an email that looks convincingly like it’s from Google, with an urgent call to action regarding a legal matter and a link for more information, according to a report from Forbes published on April 21.

But if you interact with the email, your credentials could be stolen, your password changed and new security measures put in place to keep you from getting back into your account. If you find yourself in this boat — from this phishing attack or another — hope isn’t lost. If you have the proper measures in place and you act quickly, you can regain access.

A Google spokesperson told Forbes that a fix for this particular scenario will soon be deployed.

Read on to find out what to do in case your Gmail account is hacked and you can no longer log in. We’ll also throw in some additional security measures so you can potentially make your account less vulnerable.

For more, don’t miss Android security and privacy features you should know about.

If your Gmail account was compromised, do this

This particular attack isn’t necessarily special, but it does show that cybercriminals are relentless in looking to gain access to user accounts by creating increasingly sophisticated methods of attack. And it is all too easy to fall victim to phishing attacks. Gmail is the most popular email service, so it makes sense for the bad guys to prioritize it. Google even has a quiz to help you spot these types of emails.

If you had your account hacked, regaining access can be tricky. What information and recovery measures were in place will play a factor in your success and in the time it could take to recover your account.

Start by going to https://accounts.google.com/signin/recovery and answer the questions to the best of your ability. If you had any additional emails or phone numbers associated with your account, this information may be able to help you, even if it’s been removed from your account. Google has additional tips that may help you when completing the account recovery module, like making sure you’re completing these steps in a familiar location and with a familiar device.

After some digging, including going through a series of help requests about a compromised account, the writer of the Forbes report was able to receive a callback from Google directly. A key factor here, though, was that it required the Google One Premium subscription that offers additional storage, AI features and other benefits.

Prevention is the best method: How to secure your Gmail account

There’s a reason why you’ll find more support articles from Google that will show you how to prevent bad actors from getting into and wreaking havoc on your Gmail account than you’ll find articles about recovering from a phishing attack. That’s because it’s much easier to prevent a hack than it is to prove you’re the one trying to regain access to your account.

If you’re luckily reading this as a preventive measure to protect your Gmail account, here are things you can and should do to keep your account safe.

One of the easiest ways to increase the security of your account is adding a recovery email and phone number to your account account. Here’s how to do it.

From your computer, head to myaccount.google.com and login to your account
Click on the Security tab on the left side panel
Under the How you sign in to Google section, click Add an email address next to Recovery email. You can add a phone number in this section by clicking 2-Step Verification phone.
Both of these methods will require verification before they’re added to your account.

Additional security measures you should enable

By adding a recovery phone and email to your Google account, you’ll save yourself a lot of time if you need to confirm your identity to regain access to your account, but that’s essentially the bare minimum. There’s still so much more you can do to protect your Google account, which will in turn protect your Gmail account.

True, additional security can come at the expense of convenience. Some of the methods may be slightly less secure but keep your convenience balanced, where others may be much more secure and the convenience dial turned all the way down.

The security focus is primarily going to be enabling two-step verification when you sign into your Google account or any of its apps, like Gmail.

Two-step verification options

There are a handful of ways to add a second layer of security when signing into your Google account. You can enable one or more at a time.

Passkeys – You can save a passkey to your device that can be used instead of logging in with a password. Passkeys, which are secure, FIDO credentials, can be saved with password managers on computers or mobile devices and just need to be verified with biometrics or a PIN.
Security Key – This is probably the most secure but most inconvenient method. It will require you to purchase a physical security key and insert it into the device you’re trying to log into. There are several NFC-enabled security keys available as well.
Two-step verification phone – With this enabled, you’ll be sent a code via text message that you can input into the device you’re signing into. SMS has its own security concerns, though.
Authenticator app – This method requires a one-time setup for your account. Once it’s enabled, you’ll be asked to provide a temporary code from your authenticator app in order to log in.
Google prompt – This method is very convenient. You’ll receive a popup on your phone from Google that you’ll need to tap to confirm it’s you that’s logging into your account on a new device.
Backup codes – This method will generate a series of unique codes that you store in a safe place and can use when you get locked out of your account.

Consider the Google Advanced Protection Program

Google offers an advanced protection program that doubles down on security. The above two-step verification methods will typically be enough for you to skip your login credentials, but the Google Advanced Protection Program requires you to use a passkey or security key and your login credentials to access your account. Google encourages journalists, activists, business executives and people involved in elections to enroll, but it’s a free program that anyone can use.

For more, check out our Cybersecurity hub.

Technologies

Trump Maintains US‑Iran Negotiations Continue Amid Tehran’s Denials of Duplicity

President Trump insists that US‑Iran talks are ongoing despite Tehran’s denial of any negotiation plans, while warning that only a deal or total surrender will allow passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Conflicting statements from both sides have heightened uncertainty as the conflict enters its sixth month.

On Monday, President Donald Trump asserted that negotiations between the United States and Iran are still taking place, even after Tehran stated it has no intention of engaging in direct talks with Washington.

In a fiery Truth Social post, Trump labeled Iran’s leaders “unbelievably duplicitous,” claiming they are lying about ongoing peace talks “whether Iran wants to admit it or not.” He repeated his assertion that the United States completely controls the Strait of Hormuz, despite maritime traffic through the crucial route lingering at only a small fraction of pre‑conflict levels.

He wrote, “Nothing reaches Iran unless we allow it, and nothing will pass unless a deal—or total surrender—is achieved.”

Earlier that day, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters there is no imminent plan for U.S.–Iran negotiations, contradicting Trump’s earlier comment that talks would resume Monday afternoon. Baghaei added that Iran’s only current discussions are with Oman concerning the Strait of Hormuz.

The conflicting statements have heightened uncertainty over the peace‑talk process and the broader conflict, now in its sixth month.

Trump’s assertion about new negotiations came a day after he said on Truth Social that he had agreed to cancel a massive strike against Iran “subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL.” He said in the same post that Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had asked him to hold off on that attack because “the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to.”

Trump has claimed dozens of times throughout the more‑than‑five‑month‑long war that a deal is at hand. No permanent deal has been signed, and a temporary ceasefire reached in June has fallen apart.

Trump has also repeatedly threatened to launch devastating strikes against Iran before backing off. After the latest example, oil prices on Monday fell and stocks surged.

BMI, a research unit of Fitch Solutions, said in a note Monday that a broader diplomatic understanding on reopening the Strait of Hormuz is still achievable this quarter, while raising the probability of its escalation scenario to 35% from 25%, citing mounting military, diplomatic and economic signs of rising U.S.-Iran tensions.

“Diplomatic progress is likely to be punctuated by periodic military flare-ups, while miscalculation by either side could trigger a renewed escalation,” BMI analysts wrote in a note. The firm said the key issue to watch is the future governance of the strait, as the Iran-Oman talks — potentially backed by Gulf states, China and the U.S. — point to efforts to build a post-conflict shipping framework.

Shipping risks persist even as diplomacy appears to be advancing. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said it received a report of an incident 20 nautical miles (23 miles) northeast of Khasab, Oman — at the mouth of the strait — with a tanker’s master reporting an explosion in close proximity to the vessel at about 20:37 UTC Sunday (4:37 pm ET). The vessel and crew were safe and authorities are investigating, UKMTO said, advising ships to transit with caution.

The proposal Trump announced over the weekend calls for the U.S. and Iran to return to negotiations and continue ironing out some of the thorny issues that had derailed diplomatic efforts, according to The Associated Press, citing a regional official involved in the mediation efforts.

The official said the proposal also includes a reopening of the Hormuz Strait and halting attacks across the region, including by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq on the Arab Gulf countries and Jordan.

The U.S., for its part, will end its naval blockade on Iran and allow Tehran to export its oil, the official said, adding that no deal has been reached, although the mediation efforts remained underway.

Trump’s weekend reversal has lowered the temperature after days of escalating attacks across the Gulf. Kuwait said Saturday that Iranian forces launched a wave of drones within its airspace, with its military destroying multiple aircraft after Iran targeted critical infrastructure in the country’s north.

A parallel track with Muscat is also advancing. Iranian diplomats said Tehran was close to reaching a new arrangement with Oman to manage shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a deal critical to preventing the war from escalating further, according to the Financial Times.

Iranian officials said negotiations over future management of the Hormuz Strait with Oman, which sits on the opposite shore of the waterway, are in their final stages. The agreed shipping route would be different from those used before, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Baghaei, adding that the new route was separate from the issue of the strait’s reopening or continued closure.

Technologies

Oil Prices Slide as Trump Halts Planned Iran Strike

Oil prices dropped after Trump cancelled a planned strike on Iran, with WTI down about 5% and Brent near 5% lower. He said the move followed requests from Tehran and regional allies for a pause while a deal shaping the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program is negotiated.

Oil prices fell on Monday after President Donald Trump announced he had cancelled a planned strike on Iran. WTI futures dropped roughly 5% to $80.34 a barrel, while Brent slipped about 4.7% to $83.77 a barrel.

Trump said early Sunday he called off the strike after Iran and several Middle Eastern nations asked him to hold off, noting that the outlines of a deal had been agreed upon. He added that the prospective accord would entail the immediate, full opening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, according to his Truth Social post.

The president had been considering another round of strikes as diplomatic hopes waned since the conflict began on February 28. He said the U.S. and Iran would meet for talks on Monday, but Iran denied any scheduled negotiations with Washington, citing PressTV. Iran’s foreign‑ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei clarified that Tehran was only discussing shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz with Oman. In a follow‑up Truth Social message, Trump insisted that, regardless of Iran’s acknowledgment, the United States is indeed discussing a solution to a long‑standing problem created by Iran.

Technologies

Oil Prices Drop as Trump Cancels Planned Attack on Iran

Oil prices fell sharply after President Trump announced the cancellation of a planned strike on Iran, citing a new deal that would open the Hormuz Strait and end Iran’s nuclear threat.

Oil prices fell sharply on Monday after President Donald Trump announced that he had called off a planned strike on Iran.

West Texas Intermediate futures, the U.S. benchmark, slipped roughly 5% to close at $80.34 per barrel, while Brent crude, the international benchmark, declined 4.7% to settle at $83.77 a barrel.

Trump made the announcement early Sunday, saying he had canceled the strike following requests from Tehran and other Middle Eastern countries.

In a Truth Social post, he wrote: “We have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to.”

The president indicated that the proposed agreement would include the immediate, complete, and total opening of the Hormuz Strait, as well as an end to Iran’s nuclear threat.

Trump had been weighing additional strikes amid diminishing prospects for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict that began on Feb. 28. He stated that the U.S. and Iran would hold negotiations on Monday.

Tehran denied that talks were planned with Washington, according to state news outlet PressTV.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran was only holding talks with Oman regarding the routes ships can use through the Strait of Hormuz.

In a subsequent Truth Social post, Trump added that whether “Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking of a solution to a problem that they have caused for decades.”