Recently there was a news that the WhatsApp account of Supriya Sule, leader and MP of Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Chandra Pawar) has been hacked. Regarding this, Supriya Sule claimed that after hacking WhatsApp, the hackers demanded 400 dollars from her through a message. He also said that party general secretary Aditi Nalavde's WhatsApp was also hacked.
WhatsApp is a free messaging app, India has the largest number of WhatsApp users in the world. According to the data, WhatsApp had 53.58 crore active users in India as of May 2024.
In such a situation, WhatsApp hacking is a concern for anyone. This is a violation of our privacy. So, one needs to be very attentive and careful in this matter.
So let's go today of work News Let's talk about how we can secure WhatsApp account? You will also learn that-
- How to identify if WhatsApp account is hacked or not?
- What kind of precautions should be taken regarding WhatsApp?
- How can you protect your WhatsApp account from hackers?
Expert: Ishan Sinha, Cyber Expert (New Delhi)
Question- What is the main reason for WhatsApp hacking? Answer- WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app in the world. As of April 2024, WhatsApp had over two billion active users worldwide. WhatsApp comes with end-to-end encryption. That means your data can be securely transferred from one device to another. The company claims that it cannot read users' messages even if it wants to. Users' data is kept strictly confidential.
In such a situation, the question arises that how hackers hack WhatsApp account even after such security.
Expert Ishaan Sinha says that the biggest reason for WhatsApp account hacking is the carelessness of users. Hackers enter your account through methods like phishing link, QR code or OTP to access your account.
Question- How hackers can harm you by hacking WhatsApp? Answer: Hacking anyone's WhatsApp is dangerous because hackers can access your personal information and contact numbers. After this, hackers can blackmail you or leak data.
Understand this from the following graphic.
Q- How to identify if your WhatsApp account is hacked? Answer- The most important thing in today's digital age is your privacy. People share business related personal information including messages, photos, videos, documents, location on WhatsApp. Leakage of personal information is very dangerous. This can damage your reputation, including financially. Hackers can send threatening messages to someone from your WhatsApp account. Since the account is from your mobile number, the police can take legal action against you. So, if you find anything suspicious on your WhatsApp, check it immediately.
You can identify whether your WhatsApp account is hacked or not using the methods given in the graphic below.
Question- What kind of precautions should be taken regarding WhatsApp account? Answer- WhatsApp periodically brings new security features and updates to protect its users. Even after this, hackers find new ways to cheat people. Vigilance is essential to avoid falling prey to hackers, so that your WhatsApp account remains secure. The graphic below shows some of the methods, using which you can secure your WhatsApp account.
Q- What is Two-Step Verification? Answer- Two-step verification gives you double layer security. This requires a verification code, along with a password. This code comes in a message sent to your phone. Even if someone knows your password, they still need a verification code. Due to this it is not easy to hack.
Question- How to enable two-step verification in WhatsApp account? Answer- Follow these steps to enable two-step verification settings in your WhatsApp.
- First open your WhatsApp.
- After this click on Settings option.
- Go here and click on Account option.
- Go to the Two Step Verification option and tap on it.
- Set your 6 digit secure PIN password.
- After confirming this, finally click on Done option.
Question- What to do if WhatsApp account gets hacked? Answer- WhatsApp's security is very tight, but due to some mistakes hackers can get full control of the account. However, there is no need to worry about this. WhatsApp account can be recovered by following some steps. such as-
- Uninstall WhatsApp from your phone and reinstall it.
- After installing the application, login by entering the registered phone number.
- You will receive a 6 digit unique code via SMS or phone call.
- Register your account by entering this code.
- If this method doesn't work then contact WhatsApp support team.
- For this go to https://www.whatsapp.com/contact/noclient.
- After this, write the hack related information in the message.
- After receiving the request, WhatsApp will consider your complaint.
- If everything goes well, you will get access to your account again.
Question- What to do to avoid joining unknown WhatsApp groups? Answer- WhatsApp has a default setting to add to a group. This means that anyone can add you to any group without your permission. Many such groups exist to scam people. So such groups should be avoided.
For this turn on these settings of WhatsApp.
- Click on Settings option of WhatsApp.
- After this go to privacy option and tap on it.
- Now click on Groups option.
- After this, three options like Everyone, My Contacts and My Contacts Accept will be available.
- By selecting the My Contacts Except option, you can select people who can only add you to the group.
- After clicking this option, only people you choose can add you to any group.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
