Guidelines For WhatsApp Not Being Hacked Like Ravio Patra

Ilustrasu WhatsApp (Image by Thomas Ulrich from Pixabay)

JAKARTA - Twitter netizens were shocked by the arrest of activist and public policy activist Ravio Patra. By the Police, he was arrested on charges of provocation via the WhatsApp instant message application.

SAFENET Executive Director, Damar Juniarto, said there were irregularities in Ravio's arrest. Because a few moments before being arrested, Ravio's WhatsApp account was hacked and could not be used for a while.

"Yes, he was arrested yesterday, the exact time cannot be determined," said Damar in his short message, Thursday, April 23.

Damar explained that this arrest began when Ravio told him that his WhatsApp was hacked by someone. "When Ravio tried to turn on WA, it said 'You've registered your number on another phone', then checked the incoming SMS message, there was a request for an OTP," he said.

For nearly two hours, WhatsApp Ravio was finally restored. However, during the hack, the perpetrator used Ravio's WhatsApp account to spread provocative chain messages.

"THE CRISIS IS ALREADY BURNING! LET'S COLLECT AND ENJOY APRIL 30, THE ACTION OF NATIONAL LOSING CONSTANTLY, ALL STORES ARE NEAR US FREE OF CHRISION," read the message.

Damar himself has asked Ravio to gather all evidence related to hackers for further examination. However, it didn't take long for Ravio to be caught by the police.

How to Secure WhatsApp

The news of Ravio Patra's active WhatsApp hacking is widely discussed by netizens. The hashtag #bebasravio is also perched on Twitter's trending topic. So how do you secure your WhatsApp account from being hacked?

1. Enable the Two-Step Verification Feature

Actually, WhatsApp has two-step verification, to secure user accounts and passwords. In this way, WhatsApp users will be provided with multiple layers of security to identify their account. This feature will provide an authentication code for both a random pin and a fingerprint recording as a valid WhatsApp account owner.

2. Always Remember to Logout WhatsApp Web

Many of us use WhatsApp Web to make it easier to communicate while doing work on laptops. To be safe, make sure to log out of the WhatsApp web account from the computer device you are using.

For that, try logging out via the Web directly or from the WhatsApp application. To do this, open the WhatsApp application then click Settings, open the WhatsApp Web / Desktop feature, continue with the log out option.

3. Routinely check the Encryption Code in the Chat Room

In this feature, you must be diligent in ensuring that your chat room with your spouse, family or co-workers has been encrypted. The steps are to open the profile of the person you are talking to, enter the Encryption menu, then a 40 digit code and QR code will appear.

In the second chat, you will have the same 40 codes and QR code as the other person. This system indicates that the contents of your chats are securely encrypted.

Strong encryption is a necessity in modern life. We will not compromise on security because that would make people less safe. 7/10

- WhatsApp Inc. (@WhatsApp) February 12, 2020

4. Don't Just Click Any Link (Link)

Usually this happens in family groups, but suspicion needs to be raised to be more careful with any messages received including fake or hoax links.

In fact, the shared link could contain viruses that can hack and take over your WhatsApp. For that, anticipation needs to be applied when receiving information.

5. Enable Security Notifications

If you have implemented the method above, this one method must also be done so that each of your WhatsApp activities can be monitored. For example, if you get a notification that your account is active on WhatsApp Web or on another device, you will get a notification about that along with the code that the hacker changed.