04/07/2021 9:17 AM
Clarín.com
Technology
Updated 04/07/2021 9:19 AM
In its almost ten years of life,
managed to become the ideal communication channel for more than 2 billion users on a daily basis.
Precisely, the
The flow of
conversations
that are generated there -particularly its content- can cause a third party to decide to
hack an account
.
While it is unlikely that a cybercriminal would have an interest in accessing our conversations, an
inadvertent mistake or oversight
can leave everything at the mercy of a third party: messages, photos and videos.
The first thing to do as a precaution is to make a
backup copy of WhatsApp
, also update it in case you have a new version without installing.
The first indication of a possible hack is to check if WhatsApp is
active beyond the cell phone
, since currently the same account can be started on four devices at the same time.
To do this, enter the WhatsApp Web tab and from there close the session on all computers.
WhatsApp allows you to activate the same account on up to four computers.
Photo: capture.
Another factor to know someone got into your conversations is when WhatsApp notifies that
the account is being used on another phone
, automatically closing the original.
It will also be necessary to verify if
calls or video calls
were made
automatically and without consent.
If so, you just have to delete the app and reinstall it.
One more clue is when WhatsApp triggers a
message with the security code
, in case it has "two-step verification" active.
If this has been the case, it means that someone else is trying to enter your chats.
In case the account was actually hacked, it will only be necessary to deactivate it by sending an email to support@whatsapp.com.
This way, the company will automatically delete it if it is not accessed for 30 days.
How to protect your WhatsApp account
The platform, owned by
Facebook,
incorporated in 2017 an optional function called "two-step verification", as they have
Gmail, Instagram or even Fortnite
.
It is a
unique six-digit code (PIN)
that fulfills the task of increasing the security of the application and all the information, files and conversations that are stored.
To enable it, you will have to enter WhatsApp and access the
"Settings"
option
.
The "Two-Step Verification" in WhatsApp.
Then, in the "Account" section, you will see the so-called "Two-step verification" among the options.
All that remains is to press "Activate" and you will have your chats secured.
By activating this particular security function, WhatsApp optionally offers the possibility of entering a
reference
.
This resource allows the user to send a link with which they can
deactivate the "two-step verification"
, in case they forget the six-digit PIN, and thus protect your account.
SL
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