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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

Students translate documents for the aged

2007-11-08

As part of practical module in translation, third-year students in Translation Studies at the University of the Free State (UFS) translated a document for a group of aged people. The document is a guide for luncheon clubs of Age-in-Action, a non-governmental organisation working amongst the aged. The document contains information on how the aged can organise the group and the services they can render in the community. The document was translated into Afrikaans and Sesotho with the help of a group in Heidedal and Mangaung, respectively. As part of their course, the students had to meet with the management of Age-in-Action to find out more about the aim of the document. After that, they visited the groups in the community twice to gain information that would ensure that the documents fulfil the needs of the groups. The students attended to matters such as the type of language used by the groups, what the groups do with the document and the layout requirements of the groups, e.g. a larger font. The module in translation studies is presented as a community service-learning module, which means that students learn while rendering service in a community. They have the advantage of learning in a real-life situation and the community has the advantage of receiving a service. The aim is to develop knowledge which is to the advantage of the community. On the photo the translated document is handed to the leaders of the luncheon clubs. From the left, are: Ms Melita Pietersen (luncheon club leader), me. Karma Harvey (third-year student in Language Practice at the UFS), Ms Susan van Eck (luncheon club leader), and Ms Catherine van Rooyen (luncheon club leader).
Photo: Supplied

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