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Whatsapp security
It is important to be safe when using WhatsApp. Do not leave your phone unattended when you are not close by.

There are 2 billion WhatsApp users in the world, and 1,6 billion WhatsApp users access their accounts on a daily basis.

However, it is important to also be safe when using this popular communication tool.

According to Cobus van Jaarsveld, Assistant Director: Threat Detection, Investigations and Liaison in Protection Services, it does happen that people’s WhatsApp accounts get hacked; this is a serious violation of privacy.

“It means a third party now has unlimited access to your personal chats, information, media – and in some instances, they can also masquerade as you by deleting your chats, replying to your chats, and committing crimes. That’s just the tip of the iceberg of how harmful it can be to get hacked,” says Van Jaarsveld.

He adds: “Hackers can access your WhatsApp data by various means, e.g. via WhatsApp web or registering your number on another device.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) provided the following tips to prevent one’s WhatsApp from getting hacked:

• Log out from all computers that you see in the list under WhatsApp Web. This will stop hackers from further reading your chats. However, this should be done every time you use WhatsApp web.
• Do not leave your phone unattended when you are out.
• Lock all your apps to prevent unknown people from accessing your apps.
• Do not connect your phone to unknown Wi-Fi connections, as hackers can also use the unique MAC address to access all your WhatsApp chats.
• In case your WhatsApp has already been hacked, deactivate your account by emailing support@whatsapp.com. Your account will be automatically deleted if not accessed for 30 days.
• Enable two-step verification under your WhatsApp account settings. This will add an extra layer of security to the app.
• Lock WhatsApp. It is imperative to have the AppLocker that will help you lock your WhatsApp. While WhatsApp does not offer this application per se, you can download it and the app will facilitate the use of your WhatsApp with a password or PIN. This will help to prevent anyone who has access to your phone from accessing your WhatsApp account, since they will require a password to open it.

News Archive

Unit for Language Facilitation and Empowerment
2004-11-26

Seated - fltr: Drs Jackie du Toit, from the UFS's Department Afro-Asiatic Studies, Sign Language and Language Practice and Elbie Truter, from the UFS's ULFE.

Standing - fltr: Mr Roelof Geyser, from the UFS's ULFE; proff Theo du Plessis, head of the UFS's ULFE; Naomi Morgan from the UFS's Deparment of Afrikaans, Dutch, French and German and Johan Lubbe from the UFS's ULFE.


Six members of the University of the Free State's (UFS) Unit for Language Facilitation and Empowerment (ULFE) will take part in the Multilingual Information Development Programme's (MIDP) 5th International Colloquium that will be presented from 29 November -1 December 2004 at the University of Antwerpen in Antwerpen. The topic of this year's colloquium is Multilingualism and the Media.

Various highly acclaimed experts from Belgium and Europe will take part in the colloquium.

It is the first time that so many staff members of the UFS's ULFE will take part in this series of colloquiums, which form part of the ULFE's MIDP project. The project is a partnership with the Free State Province and is conducted in cooperation with the University of Antwerpen. Although the series of colloquiums is mainly sponsored by the Province of Antwerpen, the National Research Foundation and the UFS's Central Research Fund also makes substantial contribution to the series.


 

 

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
26 November 2004

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