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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

Prof. Jansen welcomes students in Leadership Programme back on campus

2010-10-29

Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, with Lebohang Molefe, Thabiso Nkohli, Kgotso Maya and Samkelisiwe Zulu.

The Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State (UFS), Prof. Jonathan Jansen, was pleasantly surprised by what the first-year students who went to the United States on a Student Leadership Programme told him on their return.

“I am so happy that these students’ views on life in general have changed for the better in such a short period of time. This trip to the USA has certainly made a big impact on their lives. I sincerely hope that they will use the opportunities offered by the UFS to study even further,” said Prof. Jansen during his recent visit to the Qwaqwa Campus where he met with students who went on a two-week US tour earlier this month.

“The trip to various universities, like the New York University, the Cleveland State University, the Mount Holyoke College, the Cornell University, amongst others, made us to be proud South Africans. We were encouraged by the patriotic spirit displayed by American students and we are confident that UFS students, black and white, can start spreading that to the entire country,” said Kgotso Maya, a BA student majoring in Sociology.

The five students were part of the leadership programme exclusively designed for first-year students.

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