London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 01, 2025

Lock down your Gmail account like it's Fort Knox: Google Advanced Protection Program

Google's highest level of account security puts the key to Google services right in your pocket - literally.

You keep a lot of sensitive information in your Google account - bank account balances, email addresses and phone numbers, pictures of your face, your friends' faces, your family. If you want to protect that sensitive data with the highest level of security you can get, you'll want to take a look at the Google Advanced Protection Program. Google's program makes it practically impossible for anyone other than you to access your Gmail , Google Drive, Google Photos or other Google services. Google claims it offers the strongest consumer-grade security available.

You have a right to be concerned - data breaches have become so commonplace that CNET now keeps a running tally. Just last month, hackers rang up thousands of dollars' worth of Facebook ads on unsuspecting users' credit cards. Meanwhile, one of the biggest players in the virtual private network space, NordVPN, reluctantly admitted to a massive breach after a security researcher blew the whistle on Twitter.

Whether you're ready to add maximum safeguards to your Google account, or you're just curious how Google's high-security program works, here's everything you need to know about the Google Advanced Protection Program and how it can protect your data.

Android devices can now be security keys, YouTube TV raising prices
How the program protects your account

The Google Advanced Protection Program protects your personal information by requiring a physical security key, similar to the kind of dongle you use to start a car with keyless ignition. You don't need to plug it into your phone, laptop or desktop, but you do need to keep it nearby whenever you access your Google account, like on a keychain or in your pocket.

The Google Store sells a set of Titan security keys for $50, but there are other options as well.

One of the common denominators among most data breaches is that attacks are carried out remotely, over the Internet. That's why physical security keys, much like the ones Google user or those that Microsoft customers can now use to unlock their Windows machines, are such an effective defense against online hackers. Even if a scammer did steal your username and password, they still couldn't get into your account without that physical key.

Same goes for anyone who might surreptitiously steal your password - nosy coworkers, a suspicious spouse. Without that key, your Google account is practically impenetrable.


There are, however, some trade-offs

Once enrolled in the Google Advanced Protection Program, Google services are going to be a little harder to access, for both you as well as most third-party apps that tap into your YouTube, Gmail, Google Drive or other areas of your Google account in order to work.

All Google apps will still function, as will a select few non-Google apps like Apple's Mail, Calendar and Contact apps for iOS , as well as Mozilla's Thunderbird email client. Travel tracking apps, or apps that aggregate your online purchases by scanning your Gmail for receipts, however, will mostly no longer work. Also, any Google services accessed via mobile or desktop browser will now only work with Chrome or Firefox.

In addition to these hurdles, if you do happen to lose both your security key and your backup key, the process for regaining access to your Google account will take several days, as Google will go through extra steps to verify your identity before unlocking it. That's because sometimes hackers contact companies like Google pretending to be you in the hopes of having your password reset and hijacking your account.


There's a one-time cost to set it up, but no monthly fee

The first thing you'll need to do is purchase two physical security keys - even though you'll only need one at a time to access your account, Google wants to be sure you have a backup in case you lose it. Google sells the Titan Security Key Bundle at the Google Store for $50.

The two included keys run on Google-engineered firmware, and thanks to a recent hardware update, the Titan USB key now fits USB-C ports like those on all modern-day MacBooks, including the new 16-inch MacBook pro unveiled Nov. 13, as well as many Windows machines and Chromebooks. It also comes with adapters so you can use it with USB-A and Micro-USB ports as well.

For most people, the Titan set will work just fine, but if you insist on choosing your own keyset, either to save money or because you prefer another manufacturer, look for a key fob that works with FIDO Universal 2nd Factor (U2F), aka FIDO2. YubiKey is a popular alternative. They sell compatible keys that cost between $20 to $70 each, which you can order directly from the YubiKey website.

Compatible keys also are available from a variety of online retailers for anywhere from about $7 to over $40. Certain Android phones also come equipped with a compatible Bluetooth security key. Google recommends having one Bluetooth fob as your primary key and one USB key as a backup.


Register your keys and enroll in the program

Once you've got the key situation sorted out, head back over to your Google account to register the keys and enroll in the program. Note that from here on out you'll have to use either Chrome or Firefox -- you won't be able to access your Gmail, Google Docs or other Google services with Safari, Internet Explorer or other browsers.

While you're in your account settings, it might be a good idea to also set up some additional ways Google can verify it's you. This will both strengthen your account's security as well as make it easier to get back in if you ever lose both your security keys.


It works with G-Suite accounts, too

Many schools, universities and employers use Google's enterprise G-Suite software package to provide email addresses, cloud storage and other features and benefits to students, instructors and employees. Google just began supporting G-Suite customers last summer, however, you may have to contact your supervisor or system administrator to have the option turned on.


Google's Advanced Protection Program continues to evolve

G-Suite compatibility isn't the only new improvement to the Advanced Protection Program, as Google recently broadened the program's scope to also include protecting people from viruses aimed at Chrome. This is a welcome feature, as Chrome already has a pretty bad reputation when it comes to protecting your privacy.

Although it may seem ironic to trust your security to Google after the company recently got busted feeding users' personal data to advertisers as well as collecting health information on millions of Americans without their consent, the other side of that coin is that Google probably knows you better than any other tech company, so if anyone's going to keep an eye on your digital security, it might as well be Google.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
Nvidia Pledges Up to $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI to Power Massive AI Data Center Build-Out
U.S. Signals ‘Large and Forceful’ Support for Argentina Amid Market Turmoil
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
Vietnam Faces Up to $25 Billion Export Loss as U.S. Tariffs Bite
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Indonesia Court Upholds Military Law Amid Concerns Over Expanded Civilian Role
Larry Ellison, Michael Dell and Rupert Murdoch Join Trump-Backed Bid to Take Over TikTok
Trump and Musk Reunite Publicly for First Time Since Fallout at Kirk Memorial
Vietnam Closes 86 Million Untouched Bank Accounts Over Biometric ID Rules
×