You think somebody else has gotten in
Work through the four steps that turn somebody out of your account and lock the door behind them, in the right order.
The signs are usually small and readily explained away, which is why they get ignored for two weeks.
None of that means you were careless. Passwords leak in their millions when a company is broken into, and yours may have been on such a list for years before anybody got round to trying it.
Key points
- Work through the four steps in the order that makes them stick
- Sign out every other device as part of changing a password
- Find and delete a forwarding rule somebody left behind
- Turn on two-step sign-in, and know exactly what it stops
What to remember
- The forwarding rule is the part people never look at, and it is how the mail keeps leaking after the locks are changed.
- A working password proves nothing. Change it, sign everyone out, then look for what was left behind.
- With two-step sign-in on, a stolen password is worth nothing on its own — and that is the entire point.
Try this
Look at the forwarding and rules page of your own email today, even with nothing wrong. Most people have never opened it, and knowing what a normal list looks like is what makes an abnormal one obvious.
Practice: You think somebody else has gotten in. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.