With more than two billion users worldwide, WhatsApp is one of the most used messaging apps., so it probably contains data specific to the people who use it. But is it possible to hack this tool? And if so, how can an attack be prevented?
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According to tech portal ‘Xataka’, apps that promise to spy on a person’s WhatsApp without them noticing have been popular for years. Some of these tools are even paid.
Many of the apps allegedly serve to take note of when someone connects or disconnects from WhatsApp, considering that users can hide their last connection time if they wish.
Others, apparently, serve to know a person’s conversations or to see the images they share.
(Also: iPhone: So that you can listen to WhatsApp audio without them noticing).
However, the aforementioned portal provides: These apps are a scam because since 2016 WhatsApp conversations are end-to-end encrypted.
Therefore, if someone tries to access the messages, they only need to have the encryption key locally available on the chat participants’ mobile phones.
However, what about in the case of WhatsApp Web? Although it can be said to be the least secure option, it is important to emphasize that you can see which devices are connected from the mobile application, as the person can chat without a phone after registering their account on a computer. Web version.
While end-to-end encryption helps protect user information very well, it doesn’t hurt to have certain practices to avoid someone snooping on information as much as possible. The ‘Xataka’ portal shares the following tips:
– Protect WhatsApp with biometrics: The app lets you protect chats with a fingerprint or Face ID, which prevents someone from unintentionally viewing them by opening the app. It also prevents someone from recording a new WhatsApp Web session.
– Activate the phone’s antivirus: Android phones come with Google Play Protect, a standard antivirus built into Google Play. This antivirus detects without warning possible remote control applications that may be spying on you. It should be noted that “legal” remote control apps like Teamviewer give a notification when someone connects.
– Limit privacy on WhatsApp. To avoid any kind of attack, it may also work to be cautious about shared information. On WhatsApp you can hide your profile photo, when you were last connected, whether you are ‘online’, your status or read receipts.
– Review WhatsApp Web sessions: As mentioned earlier, it is recommended that you periodically review the sessions open in this tool to verify that the account has not been left open on another person’s device. You can also close all active sessions from the application.
(Keep reading: WhatsApp has a new feature called ‘private status’: that’s it.)
ELTIEMPO.COM
Source: Exame
