Online security and safety is a topic everyone should be thinking about on a regular basis, especially when so much of our online activity is happening through a smartphone. The way we secure our phones, the way our phones are updates to remain secure, and the way the online services we rely on secure the information we share are all important things that deserve regular auditing from users. This isn't a foil hat issue, it's important to be aware of where your data lives and how it is being accessed and used.

Recently we saw a fantastic question pop up in our forums about the way a Gmail address is set up and used, and it's a question that deserves a thorough answer.

Our Note 5 forum recently had a conversation about the contents of your Gmail address, specifically whether you should include your real name when creating a Gmail address. The concern is natural: if you're using your real name online it could make tracking your behavior easier, especially when you attach things like your location, phone number, and in many cases even banking information to that single email address.

This quickly lead to a brief conversation on using fake email addresses or secondary anonymous accounts to gain access to services in order to keep these companies from building a more complete profile on you as a user. It's a legitimate concern to have in general if you're interested in trying to remain anonymous online. Google isn't perfect, and your personal safety should be audited across your Google services just as frequently as anywhere else, but there are a few things about your Google account to keep in mind when discussing your personal security.