Google has warned that cybercrime should be considered a national security concern and confirmed that it is to ditch the use of SMS two-factor authentication codes for Gmail users in the coming months. I mention these two things specifically because Google has also just sent me an email that encompasses a warning with confirmation that something is going to be removed: my Google account with all Gmail messages and Google Photos content included. Here’s what you need to know and what to do to ensure your account doesn’t end up in the same situation.

ForbesAs Gmail Attacks Continue, This Google Security Check Is Crucial

Talk to any security expert about social engineering attacks, more commonly referred to as phishing, and they will likely tell you that hackers employ methods of sending emails which combine a sense of urgency with a requirement to do something lest bad stuff will happen. So, when an email purporting to have been sent by Google dropped into my inbox with subject line of “Urgent: Sign in to your Google Account if you want to keep it,” well, you might excuse me for being a teeny bit suspicious. Actually, this was one entirely email, but nonetheless concerning. So, what’s the urgency here and why is my Google account in peril?