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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. Jonathan Jansen to receive lifetime achievement award

2012-03-23

Prof. Jonathan Jansen
23 March 2012

The University of the Free State (UFS) is proud to announce the nomination of its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Jonathan Jansen, for a Lifetime Achievement Award for Africa. The nomination by Education Africa is for his work, vision and achievements in higher education.

The past awardees are Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Sir Bob Geldof, Sir Richard Branson and David Dinkins, former mayor of New York City.

Education Africa is a non-profit organisation which assists disadvantaged South Africans to obtain a quality, relevant education. Prof. Jansen will receive the award during a Gala Awards dinner in New York, USA, in October this year.

Following on his successful book "We need to talk", Prof. Jansen also recently released a new book entitled "Letters to my children: Tweets to make you think".

The royalties of "We need to talk", to the value of R100 000 will be handed over to the No Student Hungry Campaign of the UFS during a Dinner Launch of the campaign in Bloemfontein tonight.

Prof. Jansen also recently received the Paul Harris Award from the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International for “tangible and significant assistance for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world.”

Media Release
23 March 2012
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication
Tel: +27(0)51 401 2584
Cell: +27(0)83 645 2454
E-mail: news@ufs.ac.za

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