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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

Kovsie student receives national political studies award

2016-10-07

Description: ’Manapo ’Mokose Tags: ’Manapo ’Mokose

’Manapo ’Mokose who was awarded a prize for the best Honours
essay at the 2016 South African Association of Political Studies
(SAAPS) awards.
Photo: Supplied

“The UFS gets so little recognition. I hope that winning this award will attest to its strength as a genuine avenue for student success.”

This was the message from ’Manapo ’Mokose to students at the University of the Free State (UFS) after being awarded a prize for the best Honours essay at the 2016 South African Association of Political Studies (SAAPS) awards.

Mokose in a nutshell

’Mokose, who completed her degree in Political Science and Business Management at UFS went on to pursue an Honours degree in International Relations. The topic of her essay was The BRICS Development Bank in the New World Order: Reflections on Africa and China.

Voicing frustration at how little people engaged with political issues, ’Mokose pointed to the reality that political awareness empowered people to influence their environment.

She was candid about her struggles with self-doubt and shared that to her the award meant she had a clue after all and was certainly on the right track.

UFS support meant the world

According to ’Mokose none of this would have been possible without the love and support she received from the UFS. She gave special recognition to her supervisor Prof Theo Neethling in the Department of Political Studies. “I would not have received this award without him,” she said.

The award ceremony took place on 1 September 2016 in Cape Town.

’Mokose is currently doing her Masters in International Relations at the University of Cape Town and is an intern at the Institute for African Alternatives.

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