WhatsApp's massive data breach affected millions of users.
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WhatsApp messenger logo is pictured on a phone screen in Moscow on August 26, 2021. - Russia has fined Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp for failing to store the data of Russian users on local servers, the country's internet watchdog said on August 26, as authorities clamp down on foreign internet companies.
This alarming news was posted by a well-known hacking community forum, which claims that billions of WhatsApp records were put on sale.
Affected users were in the United States (32 million), the U.K. (11 million), Egypt (45 million), Saudi Arabia (29 million), Italy (35 million), Turkey (20 million), Russia (10 million), and France (20 million).
WhatsApp Massive Data Breach
According to News18's latest, the leaked WhatsApp data includes over 487 million user information, including phone numbers.
(Photo : Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The WhatsApp messaging app is displayed on an Apple iPhone on May 14, 2019 in San Anselmo, California. Facebook owned messaging app WhatsApp announced a cybersecurity breach that makes users vulnerable to malicious spyware installation iPhone and Android smartphones. WhatsApp is encouraging its 1.5 billion users to update the app as soon as possible.
Also Read: Unofficial WhatsApp Mod, YoWhatsApp, Steals Android Users' Accounts, Kaspersky Discovers
If you are among the concerned users, you need to know how to check if your WhatsApp account has been hacked.
ALPHR explained that one of the signs of a WhatsApp account breach is seeing contacts that are not familiar.
Aside from this, if you also see that your account sent messages that you don't remember sending yourself, there's a chance that your account is hacked.
If this ever happens, one of the things that you need to do is notify your contacts. Tell them that your account is allegedly hacked.
You also must avoid logging out and back in when receiving verification codes. There's a chance that the hacker can completely take over your account if you log out.
WhatsApp Security Tips
There's a saying that "prevention is better than cure." This applies to almost everything, including protecting your WhatsApp account.
It is always better if you can secure your WhatsApp account to prevent hackers from retrieving it after a security breach.
MakeUseOf provided some tips you can rely on to ensure that your WhatsApp account is always secured. These include the following:
- Activate your account's security notifications.
- Try disabling cloud backups to protect your privacy.
- Use a two-step verification feature.
- Always check your WhatsApp's encryption for sensitive conversations.
As of writing, cybercriminals are quite active.
Recently, security researchers warned about the new fake invoice scam method that works even without malware infection.
Meta employees who allegedly hacked user accounts were also dismissed by the tech firm.
For more news updates about the WhatsApp data breach and other cybersecurity threats, keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
Related Article: WhatsApp Hack: Threat Actor is Reportedly Selling 487 Million Mobile Numbers From Users Worldwide
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Written by Griffin Davis
