In the News
WhatsApp accounts may be easily accessible to malicious attackers. In Warning over WhatsApp voicemail scam that could give hackers access to your account, Anne Palmer at the Daily Mail discusses recent hacking of WhatsApp accounts that let attackers obtain complete control of a user’s account from an external device. Palmer explains that the attackers use a real phone number to set-up the app on their phone and then utilize a vulnerability in a user’s voicemail settings, often a default password, to listen to a voicemail from WhatsApp regarding a 6-digit code needed to establish the account. Palmer states that once an attacker gains access to an account, they can utilize multi-factor authentication to optimize their control over their victim’s account.
Our Take
All forms of social media and communication apps can have security vulnerabilities, but often times, these vulnerabilities can be mitigated through work on the consumer end. What made certain WhatsApp accounts vulnerable was the lack of a unique password to protect voicemail from being accessed. The attackers were only able to gain access to voicemail by guessing a default password. By changing the default password to a unique password, you can protect yourself from this hack. Ensuring that you have unique passwords for all functions on your phone is crucial to protecting your information. Additionally, setting up multi-factor authentication on apps such as WhatsApp provide additional security measures that protect your account and the information stored in the said account.
Recommendations
How can you protect your privacy and identity when using communication applications?
- Understand the risks of putting your personal information into the world, and only share what you have to
- Change any default settings on voicemail immediately to avoid being vulnerable to malicious attacks
- Be aware of default settings on mobile apps and turn on privacy settings as needed
- Update your devices and apps whenever possible to avoid running a vulnerable program
- Use safe password practices, and take advantage of Multi-factor Authentication where possible
- Stay up to date on news covering recent breaches to see if you may have been affected