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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

AfriForum abandons urgent application to seek temporary interdict against the UFS

2016-03-29

The urgent application by AfriForum to seek a temporary interdict against the University of the Free State (UFS) in relation to its newly approved Language Policy in the High Court in Bloemfontein has been abandoned.

This was conveyed in a letter from AfriForum's attorneys to the attorneys acting for the UFS today.

The step follows correspondence in which the university refused to agree to any interim order against the Language Policy (approved by the university's Senate and Council in March 2016). Instead, the UFS proposed through its attorneys that both sides seek an expedited date to have the legality of the Language Policy determined by June 2016, in order for it to be timeously implemented in 2017 (should the court challenge be dismissed).

The senior leadership of the UFS welcomes the abandonment of the attempt by AfriForum to procure an urgent court order. The UFS is also glad that the timetable it proposed instead to have the validity of the Language Policy determined by the High Court on a final basis by June 2016, has been acceded to by AfriForum. The university community and public will be kept informed of further developments.

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