Cannot set up Alerts on my ReadyNAS RN314

PWS442 wrote:
...So, against my better wishes, I clicked on the link and allowed "less secure apps so that your account is no longer protected by modern security standards." Not wild about that solution. Wonder what else that invites?

The new standard they are referring to is OAuth. When you use OAuth, the app doesn't actually know your gmail user credentials - instead it gets a signed token that it can use.

In the case of the NAS (and many apps), you are re-entering your gmail account name/password to the NAS (or app). This requires you to trust the NAS (and the apps) with your credentials. If they all handle your credentials properly, good security is maintained. But of course there's a chance that one might have a security hole...

So the net here is that the newer approach is about reducing the need to enter your credentials in multiple places. It is not saying that the protocols are less secure. Just that the consequence of entering your username/password in multiple places is that security is somewhat reduced, because there are more places where the stored credentials can be compromised.