By Jim Calloway

Gmail is under attack from hackers. Gmail users should move forward cautiously when clicking on any links received in their Gmail inbox, particularly those that were unexpected, according to a recent FBI warning. AI-Powered phishing attacks have grown at a staggering rate.

It is estimated that there are over 2.5 billion active Gmail accounts, making it one of the most widely used email services in the world. While all email services are under attack, Gmail has become a particular target because hijacking Gmail opens the doors to many other Google services that could contain critical information. (e.g., Google Drive, Google Docs and Google Files). In addition, if you ever forgot a password on a website and clicked on the convenient “log in with Google” option, access to that site could be compromised as well.

Lawyers who use Gmail for any client communication should be concerned. Many of your consumer clients have likely provided you with a Gmail address for correspondence and if that account is compromised, hackers could email you, impersonating your client. Maybe you should share a YouTube video with those clients on how to set up multifactor authentication on their Google accounts. One reason our profession receives so many Gmail addresses from clients is we appreciate clients using their work email accounts can compromise attorney client confidentiality because their employer can access those emails.

This is not to say you should stop using Gmail if you use it. But you owe it to yourself to be hypervigilant as the risk from these threats goes up. Follow the FBI’s advice and do not click on links in a received Gmail until you have made certain it is legitimate.

Suggested Reading:

FBI Issues Urgent Warning on Most Sophisticated Gmail Attacks Ever (Colitco February 10, 2025)

Most Sophisticated Gmail Attacks Ever—FBI Says: Do Not Click Anything (Forbes February 10, 2025)

Gmail is under attack: Do not make the mistake of switching to new email app (MSN February 11, 2025)