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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

UFS Choir excited about Varsity Sing

2016-06-29

The University of the Free State choir will
perform in the Sand du Plessis Theatre in
Bloemfontein on 30 June 2016 as part of
the Varsity Sing competition.
Photo: Supplied

“We believe the competition will increase the exposure of the choir, and we will start to be taken seriously by different stakeholders,” says Sive Makombe from the University of the Free State (UFS) Choir Management.

Makombe and Marischa van Zyl, also from the UFS Choir Management, are excited about Varsity Sing, a new choral competition for university choirs. They will compete for the final prize of being crowned as the best university choir in South Africa.

Competition broadcast on kykNET

Earlier this year, Varsity Sports announced their new intervarsity ‘sporting’ venture, the inaugural Varsity Sing. The concept is aimed at boosting and increasing awareness around university choirs. It will be broadcast as a television programme, Varsity Sing, and aired from 14 July 2016 on kykNET on DStv. Twelve universities from around the country will be taking part in the competition.

Support your university free of charge

As one of the competing choirs, the UFS Choir, like the other participating choirs, will with the competition give its members something to work towards. The choir will feature in the fourth round, competing against the Central University of Technology and Mangosuthu University of Technology on 30 June 2016 in the Sand du Plessis Theatre in Bloemfontein.

The show, from 18:30 to 21:00, will be free of charge. This will give the UFS community the chance to come out in numbers. Tickets can be obtained by contacting Tonderai Chiyindiko at chiyindikot@ufs.ac.za or at the door on the night of the competition.

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