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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

Roosmaryn and Veritas – 2013 Kovsie Sêr winners

2013-08-05

The two winning residences will represent the university at the national Sêr finals at the North-West University on 31 August 2013.
Photo: Johan Roux
05 August 2013

Video clip (YouTube)
Photo Gallery

Roosmaryn and Veritas will be the proud UFS representatives at the national Sêr competition, taking place at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University on Saturday 31 August 2013.

These two residences emerged as the victors of the McDonald’s Bloemfontein Kovsie Kleinsêr competition on Saturday evening 3 Augusts. They will now proceed to compete for the national title against residence teams from the universities of Stellenbosch, Pretoria, Johannesburg and North-West.

Roosmaryn and Veritas had to battle it out against eleven other UFS residence teams before walking away with the coveted first prize. In the male division, Vishuis and Kagiso locked horns with Veritas in a titanic struggle to attained second and third place respectively. The two city residences, Sonnedou and Marjolein, achieved second and third position in the division for the ladies’ residences.

This year’s Kovsie Kleinsêr competition, which is a highlight on the Bloemfontein calendar, was characterised by fierce competition, top-class entertainment and loads of singing talent. Spectators could follow the action from three venues on the Bloemfontein Campus, with participants performing in the Scaena, Odeion and Kovsie Church.

The McDonald’s clown, Ronald McDonald, added boisterous fun to the proceedings in the Kovsie Church. The clown, the participants’ costumes and their vocal abilities were some of the hot topics discussed on the social network Twitter, where the competition ‘trended’ for some time.

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