Google is now warning gmail users if it suspects that they are the targets of phishing or malware. You may see a warning stating “we believe state-sponsored attackers may be attempting to compromise your account or computer”.

"If you see this warning it does not necessarily mean that your account has been hijacked," Google explained. It further suggest that you make use of its two-factor authentication system.

Several Burmese journalists and foreign correspondents have been warned by Google that their Gmail accounts may have been compromised by “state-sponsored attackers”.

According to a report in Hacker News, Google introduced this form of alert in June to warn users if it suspected government-backed miscreants had tried to access their inboxes without authorization.