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Don’t get hacked; protect your WhatsApp account

08 October 2020 Photo Istock

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

Record broken at UFS auction

2010-09-06

Prof. Niel Heideman (Acting Dean: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, UFS) and Ntembeko Isaac Manyashe from BKB with the bull that was sold for R135 000.
Photo: Lize du Plessis

A provincial record was recently broken when a remarkable R135 000 was paid for a Sussex bull at the weekly auction of the Lengau Agricultural Development Centre at the University of the Free State (UFS). The bull, called Platdrif Dunlop, was bought by Mr Adri Basson from Vendetta Ranch in Windhoek.

The Sussex breed is one of the oldest breeds in the world. Platdrif Dunlop’s previous owner, Mr Nollie Stofberg from Worcester, has raised the bull since its birth approximately three years ago, after the animal’s potential as a stud bull became clear. Mr Basson also bought some heifers at the auction and they travelled with Platdrif Dunlop to Vendetta Ranch last week.

The weekly auction at the Lengau Agricultural Development Centre is held in collaboration with BKB Louwid. According to Dr Leán van der Westhuizen, Head of the Lengau Agricultural Development Centre, the weekly auctions attract a lot of interest amongst the Bloemfontein agricultural community and anybody is welcome to attend it.

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