Finding out that your account has been hacked is the worst nightmare ever. Especially when you have confidential information such as financial information in that account. Most internet accounts need email for communication. And even though Google Mail has the best security (in my humble opinion), it could be compromised if you are not careful. Amit Agarwal from Labnol got his Gmail hacked once and he managed to recover it after some time.
Actually Google Mail has a security checklist in its Gmail help and support page. But I wonder if any of you have read and applied it. If you haven’t, I suggest you visit the Gmail Security Checklist and start now.
Using 2-step verification for your Google Account does increase security. I highly recommend you activate it. It will make an attacker think twice before trying to break into your account. A unique and fairly strong password is also highly recommended.
You also need to be careful when opening your Google account from third-party applications, such as a mobile phone chat application. Always use applications from trusted publishers and trusted sources. I did read some reports that malware was found in Android and BlackBerry applications.
Stay safe and secure while you’re browsing the internet from anywhere.