If you’ve been following our series on WhatsApp, we’ve revealed to you that your account can easily be hacked, which is why we want to show you what you should do if your WhatsApp is hacked.
Of the very many techniques that hackers exploit to hack your account, accessing it via WhatsApp Web is the easiest to use, but it is also the easiest to guard against.
So, in case your WhatsApp is hacked or you want to prevent hackers from accessing your account, here’s what you should do:
Disable WhatsApp Web or Log out from all computers
WhatsApp Web has a feature that shows you how many PCs your phone is linked to.
So, always check the list and log out of all the computers. When not using WhatsApp Web, always disable it.
This should be done every time you use WhatsApp Web. Whenever you are done using the desktop or computer, log out and shut down the computer.
Lock all your apps
According to Learning Ocean, hackers use the ‘extract messages from files’ technique to copy your WhatsApp messages from your device and email them to another email ID.
Therefore, when you lock your WhatsApp application and other apps, you totally remove the risk of someone accessing your phone applications to get the WhatsApp and other application details.
[ot-video][/ot-video]
Implement WhatsApp 2-Factor Authentication
WhatsApp updated its application and introduced the two-factor authentication feature.
With the two-step verification enabled, all attempts to verify your phone number on WhatsApp will be accompanied by the six-digit PIN that you created using this feature.
To enable two-step verification, open WhatsApp > Settings > Account > Two-step verification > Enable.
When this is enabled, you can enter the email address that will allow WhatsApp to send you a link via email to disable two-step verification in case you ever forget your six-digit PIN.
Avoid public WiFi connections
The fourth thing you can do when your WhatsApp is hacked is avoiding public and free WiFi connections.
A lot of research has shown that hackers can easily access a given platform when it is connected to a public connection.
This allows them to get access to all your online applications.
Always note that hackers can have access to your accounts when you are on the same local Area network or WiFi network connections.
So always avoid logging into free or unsecured WiFi connections.
See also: 8 simple ways to hide your online activity
Avoid leaving your phone unattended to
When your WhatsApp is hacked, it’s most likely that someone accessed it without your knowledge.
So, always make sure that you move with your phone all the time because most of the techniques used to hack WhatsApp require someone to first access your phone before digging into your data.
Related:
How to install and use WhatsApp Bluestacks
How to download WhatsApp status updates posted by your contacts
