Gmail users have warned of cybermenace

Gmail users were informed of a new feature of Google Mail that could be used by online crooks The company, in April, unveiled its brand new design that introduced a new clean user interface and a bunch of new features, including the ability to repeat a message, automatically generate intelligent replies and self-destruct emails in the brand new "Confidential Mode".

"This is the confidential mode that is at the center of security fears," reported Saturday Express.co.uk

. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued an alert on the "potential emerging threat". "We have contacted Google to inform them of relevant intelligence services for their services and to collaborate to enhance our mutual cybersecurity interests," said Lesley Fulop, DHS. The spokesman said:

At the heart of these fears was the new "Confidential Email" function that can force users to click on a link to access these messages.

If you are a Gmail user using the official Google Mail website the "Confidential Email" appears when you click to open it. It indicates the date on which the content will expire and informs users that the email can not be uploaded or downloaded.

However, it is different if you are a Gmail user viewing the message as a third-party customer or non-Gmail user who receives a confidential e-mail.

In these cases, instead of the message appearing in their browser, users must click a button to see the e-mail. And that's where security fears lie.

With the redesign of Gmail, scammers could send false versions of confidential email alerts and trick a user into entering sensitive details.

"The technology giant is committed to protecting the security of users' personal information and has therefore created machine learning algorithms to detect potential phishing scams run by cybercriminals," he said. Google spokesperson Brooks Hocog. Scams are where cyber criminals are trying to entice victims to click on seemingly reliable links to steal sensitive personal information.