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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

UFS teams up with Kagiso Trust
2010-08-11

Prof. Jonathan Jansen (Rector and Vice-chancellor of the UFS) and Mr Khotso Schoeman (Chief Executive Officer of the Kagiso Trust).

Photo: Gerhard Louw

The University of the Free State (UFS) has signed an agreement with Kagiso Trust to host a series of memorial lectures and discussions commemorating the life of clerical activist Beyers Naudé. Naudé strove against his pro-Nationalist Party upbringing to help the anti-apartheid struggle. He was pivotal in starting dialogue, in South Africa and abroad, concerning apartheid. It is because of his willingness to discuss issues in open dialogue that Kagiso Trust decided to honour him.

These lectures aim to involve students and staff from all the UFS campuses, as well as the Free State community in general, to talk critically about societal issues and challenges, while celebrating the life of Beyers Naudé.

The lectures will continue at the UFS for three years and a different theme related to the main idea will be chosen each year. Each theme will have subthemes guiding discussions among students and staff on the three campuses of the UFS. The theme for this year’s lecture is “Crafting a legacy”.

The launch of the memorial lecture series at the UFS will be on the Main Campus on Monday, 13 September 2010. In 2011 the activities will move to the Qwaqwa Campus of the university.

Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt@ufs.ac.za  
11 August 2010
 

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