Google Data Breach 2025: Gmail Users Hit by Phishing After Salesforce Hack

It’s official—Google has confirmed a security breach after attackers compromised part of its Salesforce infrastructure. While the company insists no sensitive credentials were stolen, the incident has already sparked a wave of phishing and vishing attacks targeting Gmail users worldwide.

With 2.5 billion Gmail accounts potentially exposed, hackers are now using highly convincing methods—including fake Google support calls, phishing emails, and even AI-powered scams—to trick victims into handing over their credentials. Here’s everything you need to know about the breach and, more importantly, how to protect your Gmail account before it’s too late.

The Salesforce Breach: What Happened?

The breach dates back to June 2025, when the hacker group ShinyHunters tricked a Google employee through a vishing (voice phishing) attack. By impersonating internal staff, they obtained internal credentials that granted access to databases hosted on Salesforce, a customer management platform used by Google.

Google maintains that the stolen data was “limited to publicly available information”, such as company names and email addresses—no passwords, no financial details. However, even this limited data has proven extremely valuable to cybercriminals, who are now using it to fuel targeted phishing and scam campaigns.

New Wave of Attacks Against Gmail Users

Fake Google Support Calls

Victims report receiving phone calls from individuals claiming to be Google technicians. These fraudsters warn of suspicious activity and urge users to reset their passwords via a malicious link. Once victims comply, attackers seize control of their Gmail accounts.

Phishing Emails & Fake Login Pages

Other attacks involve emails and SMS messages disguised as security alerts from Google. They often contain links to lookalike login pages, nearly indistinguishable from the real thing, tricking users into entering their credentials.

Exploiting Google Cloud Weaknesses

Hackers are also targeting enterprises by exploiting outdated Google Cloud storage endpoints (dangling buckets) to inject malware or steal files. While this primarily affects businesses, individuals using shared cloud resources may also be at risk.

What You Should Do Now to Secure Your Gmail

1. Change Your Password Immediately

If you haven’t updated your Gmail password in the past year—or worse, if you’ve reused it across multiple sites—do it now.

• Use a long, unique, and complex password.
• Avoid predictable choices like Gmail2025!.
• Remember: password reuse is one of the main reasons credential stuffing attacks still succeed.

2. Stop Using SMS for 2FA

SMS-based authentication is outdated and vulnerable to SIM-swapping. Instead, switch to a dedicated authenticator app, such as:

• Bitwarden Authenticator
• 2FAS
• Proton Authenticator
• Ente Auth

These tools are far more secure and harder to intercept.

3. Use a Reliable Password Manager

Browser password managers (like Chrome’s built-in tool) aren’t enough. Instead, consider trusted, open-source, or privacy-focused solutions:

• Bitwarden
• Proton Pass
• KeePassXC

With a proper manager, you only need to remember one master password—making strong security simple.

4. Enable Passkeys

Passkeys are quickly replacing traditional passwords and offer a far safer login method. Instead of typing a password, you log in with:

• Your fingerprint,
• Your device PIN,
• Or Face ID.

Unlike passwords, passkeys can’t be stolen via phishing pages, since they’re tied to your device.

Conclusion

The Salesforce breach may not have leaked passwords directly, but it has armed hackers with enough data to launch convincing Gmail scams. The threats are already happening—fake calls, phishing links, and malicious login pages are spreading fast.

To protect yourself, act now:

• Change your Gmail password,
• Enable two-factor authentication with an app (not SMS),
• Use a dedicated password manager,
• And adopt passkeys whenever possible.

Above all, stay vigilant: if someone claiming to be from Google contacts you unexpectedly, don’t click links, don’t share information, and definitely don’t give out your password. Hang up and secure your account immediately.