Technology Made Easy

 New attack on Gmail by North Korean Hackers Suspected

Gmail is an online email service that allows users to send, receive and manage email on a number of different devices. Gmail recently came under attack by the North Korean government and this was the reason for the blog post. Gmail is a very popular email service and is used by over a billion people, so they are in a very high-risk group. The blog post goes into detail on the latest attack and what you should do if you're a Gmail user.

Hackers are targeting gmail accounts

A new attack on Gmail by North Korean hackers is suspected. Hackers are targeting gmail accounts with a new attack that could see the messages of users being read without the sender's knowledge. The hackers are using a method that can be used to break into Gmail accounts without the user's knowledge. The attack is being used on gmail accounts across the world, especially in South Korea, and is being used to read the actual emails one has in Gmail.

The new attack is able to bypass Gmail’s password protection as well as two-factor authentication systems. Two-factor authentication is Gmail’s way of adding further protection to your Gmail account. The system uses your phone number and Gmail account to send you a message if it detects an unusual login. This may be a login from a different location or a login from a different device.

The new attack is able to bypass the username + password combination as well as the two-factor authentication because it installs an extension into your browser that allows it to read your emails as soon as you log into your Gmail account. Thus, it doesn’t need your username and password, and the two-factor authentication is not trigerred because the login comes from your own device.

Browsers suspected to have been compromised

The following browsers are suspected to have been compromised by the hackers:

• Google Chrome

• Microsoft Edge

So far, other browsers such as Firefox, Vivaldi and Opera seem to be safe from the attack.

How the hack works

The hack works by installing an extension to your browser. This installation takes place when you click a malicious link that may even appear to have come from a friend.

Once the extension is installed, it simply opens up your browser to the hackers as soon as you access your gmail account. In a sense, your browser is turned into a spy for the hackers.

What you can do to protect yourself

First of all, avoid clicking links in emails that don’t give much information. If the email says something like “Check this out! Free (something)!” it is most probably a phishing attempt. Clicking such a link will install the extension to your browser and you will then be vulnerable to hackers reading your emails.

Secondly, check your browser’s extensions immediately and disable any extensions that you did not install yourself. Here are links to tell you how you can check and disable extensions for your browser:

• Google Chrome

• Microsoft Edge

• Mozilla Firefox

• Opera

• Vivaldi

If you are using a browser that has not been mentioned above, please use the AskDeepak feature to send me a message and I will tell you how to check and disable an extension in your preferred browser.

Stay vigilant, stay safe.