Should you delete your phone number from your Gmail account? In the latest update, Google has confirmed a critical security vulnerability in their system that allows hackers to “brute-force” a user’s private phone number by using only their Gmail address. This means that if you are a Gmail user, it is highly recommended that you take immediate action and delete your phone number from your account.
The implications of this phone number leak are severe, as an attacker can use your number to trick a phone company into issuing a new SIM card, granting them access to your account. Additionally, there is a risk of fake calls claiming to be from technical support desks, which has been a major issue for Google in the past.
To mitigate these risks, it is essential that you delete your phone number as a two-factor authentication (2FA) option and instead use a more secure method such as passkeys, authenticator apps or physical keys.
Source: www.forbes.com