Don’t worry, your Gmail accounts might be secure after all

Google has denied claims that it informed Gmail users of a major security issue that supposedly affected 2.5 billion users.

“We want to reassure our users that Gmail’s protections are strong and effective,” Google said in a recent blog post, refuting claims that its popular email service had been hacked.

The tech giant has said that inaccurate claims that Google sent out warning notifications to its Gmail users have proliferated and that these are “entirely false.”

While Google didn’t explicitly state how these “inaccurate claims” surfaced, this post comes after various media outlets reported that Google sent 2.5 billion users notifications of phishing attacks and a hack that endangered all Gmail users, Mashable reports.

Google, however, stated that while phishers are constantly skulking in Gmail users’ inboxes, the tech giant continues to protect users 99.9% of the time from phishing attacks and malware.

This 2.5 billion encompasses Gmail’s entire user base, which means that everyone who uses Gmail would have received a breach notification. However, no notification can be found anywhere.

Media outlets like Mashable and Forbes warned users last week that they needed to protect their Google accounts by changing their passwords, following the false report that the tech giant’s Gmail service was compromised.

In the blog post, Google stresses the importance of reinforcing users’ accounts with passkeys and strong passwords.

Passkeys allow you to access your accounts using biometrics, such as face scans or fingerprints, and other methods, such as screen locks.

Although Google wholeheartedly refutes allegations that it was hacked, it’s always best to protect your accounts and reinforce them using the strongest cybersecurity tools.