WhatsApp Hijacking
This is when malicious actors gain control of your WhatsApp account. This is a huge deal as the ubiquitous nature of the Metaverse (META’s ecosystem – Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) means a lot of our private information are shared on the platforms in text, images, audio and video formats. When compromised, it can have real damaging consequences. It becomes imperative to harden your defenses against unauthorized access. Portability and ease of access of technology, is also its biggest drawback.
The following steps will help you add another layer of security to your personal information.
Ensure that you have activated 2FA on your WhatsApp, and you have added your email address to your WhatsApp account and verified it.
DO NOT share any code received via SMS or via WhatsApp with anyone, regardless of who they may be or what their intentions may be.
Be cautious of clicking on links promising giveaways or other mouth-watering, juicy deals. They are almost always phishing links that bad actors employ to spread malware with which they can steal your data.
If you didn’t apply for any grant, or competition, be wary of calls, text messages and broadcasts informing you of winnings and requiring you to fill out this or that to claim your prize.
These apply to all your social accounts, including emails, messenger apps, and so on.
As much as possible, do not re-use passwords across different services. If a service falls victim to hackers, usually, all the subscribers on that service will have their data compromised, including but not limited to passwords. These passwords are usually dumped on the Dark Web, and bad actors can then include those passwords in their hacking software, which can come in handy when they try to gain access to your online accounts. 2FA would be a worthy acquaintance in these kinds of situations.