A serious WhatsApp security issue can lead to your account being hijacked. WhatsApp has become the leading messaging app worldwide with billions of users. It has replaced the use of mundane SMS and multimedia messages to send images. Although your WhatsApp messages are protected by end-to-end encryption, an old WhatsApp security issue, which has not yet been patched, could result in your account being hijacked.
Unlike other messaging Apps Like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp User ID and password are not required to login. Instead, it’s linked to your phone number. This is where the problem arises. When you switch to a new phone number, your old connection is terminated and reissued to another one. However, if you have not yet switched your WhatsApp account to your new number, your WhatsApp account may be left in the possession of the person who gets your old number.
This means that all your messages and media will be received by someone you don’t know, leaving your data exposed. Shockingly, this problem has been going on for years but still no solution has been found by WhatsApp. A similar incident happened to him Cybersecurity Deputy Reporter Joseph Cox Back in 2020. He signed up for a new phone number and accidentally took over someone’s WhatsApp account as it was still linked to the same number.
Protect your WhatsApp account.
Worried about someone potentially hijacking your WhatsApp account if you ever switch to a new number? There is a fix for this. One way is to change your WhatsApp account to a new number whenever you change your phone. Another is to sign up with 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) which requires a separate 6-digit PIN to log in.
How to Enable Two Factor Authentication on WhatsApp
Open WhatsApp and tap on Settings.
Tap Account, two-step verification, and then tap Enable.
Enter the six digit PIN of your choice and confirm it.
Provide an email address that you can access or tap Skip if you don’t want to add an email address. WhatsApp recommends adding an email address as it allows you to reset two-step verification and helps protect your account.
Tap Next. Confirm the email address and tap Save or Done.
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