Gmail can now alert users of suspicious account activity

Google has added a new security feature to Gmail that will help protect users by warning them of suspicious account activity. In an example, engineering director Pavni Diwanji explained how his friend's Gmail account was recently compromised by a scammer who attempted to bait money out of the account holder's contacts.

To combat such attacks, Gmail can now detect potentially malicious activity and notify users. The service already shows recent login information below the inbox, but it will now also alert users with a bright red banner and a message that reads, "Warning: we believe your account was last accessed from…" along with the approximate geographic region.

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Google says the alert can be triggered if an account is accessed from two different countries within a short time span. You can then view details about the recent activity and access points. If you believe your account has been hijacked, you can change your password from the same window, or simply dismiss the message if it was a false alarm.