Photo via Pixabay (Public Domain) Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Google users became subject to a sophisticated phishing attack earlier today. The attack made use of a Google Doc link which when users click will give access to their email account. Google warned its user via a tweet on their Google Docs account. According to a Reuters report via GMA News Online, the warning tweet came after affected users aired their complaints on social media. The tweet indicated Google was looking into it. It also instructed users to report any phishing activity via Gmail. How The Attack Works A Vox report breaks down how the attack works, which most experts have labelled as more sophisticated than usual. Users will get an email which appears to show a Google Doc link that the sender has shared with you. Once you unsuspectingly click on the link, it opens to the Google log-in page which according to the report is the real page, not a fake one. After you enter your password, it then takes you to a third-party site which asks you for permission to access your email account. This third-party site, which is aptly named Google Docs, is not a real Google site. If you inadvertently give access, this opens your account to the attacker, who can read your emails and access your address book. People in your contacts will then likely receive phishing emails from you and will fall prey to the attack. Google Says They Have Addressed The Problem A few hours after they issued the warning, Google Docs then announced that they have “taken action to protect users against an email impersonating Google Docs.” For users who have only become aware of this attack now, there are steps you can take to check if you have been affected. It will not hurt to change your password now. In fact, security experts say it is best you change your passwords frequently. To check if you have been victimized, go to Google App permission page and look for the app called “Google Docs.” If you see this in your list, remove it. To prevent further phishing attacks, warn your contacts about not opening shared documents from you or anyone they do not know. We are investigating a phishing email that appears as Google Docs. We encourage you to not click through & report as phishing within Gmail. — Google Docs (@googledocs) May 3, 2017 Facebook Comments
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