Tech

WhatsApp: This is how cybercriminals hack accounts; follow these tips to protect yourself

Last week, some governors of Mexico denounced various attempts to hack their WhatsApp accounts, managing to intervene the accounts of President Alfonso Durazo, Governor of Sonora, Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca, Governor of Tamaulipas, and José Rosas Aispuro Torres, Governor of Durango.

Faced with this panorama, various users have asked themselves how did it happen and in what way can they protect your accounts? In this article we will analyze the various operandi modes in order to prevent, then we will leave you some recommendations to prevent this from happening to you.

The first point to keep in mind is that no system is 100% secure, which is why the applications constantly launch new updates, which it is recommended to download and install frequently. On the contrary, a cybercriminal is always looking for “back doors” to infiltrate.

This battle is fought day by day, and although it is true that it mostly depends on companies to maintain consumer security, an important part falls on the user and the use of good practices that help combat the most common cyber attacks .

What are the most frequent attacks on WhatsApp?

According to the threat analysis carried out by the CCN-CERT, during 2021 11 main risks of using this platform were detected which, due to its great acceptance, is placed in the crosshairs of cyber attackers who try to obtain data and information of its users.

One of the problems listed refers to a security breach in the registry, According to the study, “the most important lack of the platform so far has resided in the security in the user registration and verification process. The characteristics of the registration process allow an intruder to gain access to the user account of Someone else’s WhatsApp, read the messages you receive and even send messages on their behalf. “

Account hijacking taking advantage of network failures, “This process makes the telephone network believe that the attacker’s telephone number has the same number as the victim. In this way, they receive a valid WhatsApp verification code, having full access to the victim’s account.”

As it is a network failure, not dependent on the app

The account theft via SMS, calls, unofficial websites represents one of the most common problems, since the user is responsible for granting, without his knowledge, the permissions, passwords or access information to the attacker. In general, the user is tricked into believing that he is accessing an application or participating in a contest.

How to prevent being the victim of an attack?

Pirate downloads: When downloading content from the internet, caution must be exercised, and avoid accessing apps and websites that look unreliable, in the case of mobile applications it is best to look for apps that show Google’s security certification, which will only be available through the Play Store.

Online games: When using any app, chat service or video game, avoid providing personal information and make sure that the user names and passwords are different for each of the accounts. On the other hand, a double authentication factor must also be added, and, of course, play or download games only from official sites.

Fraudulent websites: when installing a new app or accessing a website it is important to read all the permissions that are granted, since very often it is accepted without knowing or reading the conditions

Last but not least for online purchases it is advisable to use digital bank cards, as they provide a constantly changing verification code.

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