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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

UFS101 prepares new students for life

2012-03-07

7 March 2012

A new core curriculum module, UFS101, was launched in the Callie Human Centre at our Bloemfontein Campus on Monday 27 February 2012.

“We want to give you an education and not just a degree,” Prof. Jonathan Jansen, UFS Vice-Chancellor and Rector, said to the students in his opening address at the launch.

UFS101 is aimed at creating the next generation of citizens and young academics to stand out amongst other graduates in South Africa.

Implicit in the design of UFS101 is the development of engaged scholarship amongst UFS graduates. The curriculum also provides support for under-prepared students, while giving stronger students access to additional stimulation.

The module consists of seven units. Each unit comprises two lectures with either a learning experience or tutorial for each unit. In select cases both are used. Two units are presented in the first semester and five units in the second semester.

UFS101 also exposes students to provocative questions aimed at disrupting existing knowledge and ways of thinking by engaging them in some of the “big issues” across different disciplines, namely:

How do we deal with our violent past?
What does it mean to be fair?
What did God really say?
How small is small?
Why is the financial crisis described as ‘global’?
How do we become South Africans?

UFS 101 is a prerequisite for the completion of a qualification and students will earn an additional 16 credits over and above the minimum number of credits required for the completion of their qualification.

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