Do Not Panic! Follow These Cybersecurity Expert Steps If WhatsApp Is Hacked

WhatsApp Photo Illustration (Pixabay)

JAKARTA - The news of the transfer of the WhatsApp account is still hotly discussed on the social media universe. Twitter users also had time to complain about the viral message, potentially hacking their WhatsApp account.

Many of them claim to find a notification that appears stating that their WhatsApp account is no longer registered on the cellphone they are now using, but has signed in or signed in on another device. One of them is Twitter user @Rohmanstwn.

Help info please. If suddenly a notification appears what should I do? He said that if you take part in the verification you will get hijacked? Now whatsapp can't be accessed. pic.twitter.com/nq2D62mNku

- Kalong dawn 🦇 (Rohmanstwn) May 10, 2020

Then what should be done if we experience this? According to cybersecurity expert from Vaksin.com, Alfons Tanujaya, netizens do not need to panic if they receive messages from WhatsApp.

Because it shows, there are parties out there who are trying to hack into your WhatsApp account. Alfons revealed that if a user gets the notification, then do not immediately click 'OK' but immediately select the 'Verify' button.

"As long as you keep in control of the telephone number registered with the WhastApp account," Alfons said in a short message to VOI, Thursday, May 14.

Furthermore, Alfons explains the steps to take when an account is declared to have been hacked by an unknown person. The method is quite simple, by reinstalling the WhatsApp application.

"Reinstall WhatsApp, enter our cellphone number, agree to the incoming verification SMS. Then WhatsApp will automatically log in and be logged out of the hijacker's cellphone," said Alfons.

Alfons explained, reinstalling the WhatsApp application is needed to activate the verification process to retrieve the numbers that have been hijacked. Later, when the user logs back into his WhatsApp account, the hacker will automatically log out or log out of the hacked account.

This is because WhatsApp only allows one session of using the account from the application. This means that one WhatsApp account is only allowed to be used by one device at a certain period of time.

It should be noted, in the process of restoring a hacked account, there are a number of things that you need to pay attention to. One of them is a unique code that will only be accepted by WhatsApp account owners, namely one time password (OTP).

The OTP code itself is a one-time password sent by WhatsApp via SMS or telephone when someone wants to log into an account. When receiving this OTP code, you can be sure that the user is the original owner of their WhatsApp account.

WhatsApp Security Ways

In fact WhatsApp has provided security features that are tight enough to prevent hacking. In addition to encryption technology to secure messages, there is also a Two Factor Authentication (TFA) feature, which can be known as two layers of security.

This feature allows users to set a security code, which will be asked every time you log in with your WhatsApp number on a new smartphone or device. This method is also an attempt to detect if someone tries to log into your WhatsApp account.

The form of the TFA feature is usually sending OTP (One Time Password) to the user's mobile number. This code will only be sent to the registered account number, by confirming via SMS or telephone.

Starting today, Android users can add another layer of security to their WhatsApp messages with fingerprint lock. 🔒 Learn more about how to enable the setting here: https://t.co/biwzjhTwop pic.twitter.com/mVDoE4gurk

- WhatsApp Inc. (@WhatsApp) October 31, 2019

To activate this feature, users can enter the menu in the form of three dots in the upper left corner of the screen. Then select 'Settings' and enter the 'Account' menu.

After that select "Two-step verification" by pressing the "Enable" button. Later the user will be asked to enter a PIN in the form of a number that only you know, and an e-mail to verify it.

If you activate this feature, not just anyone can log into your WhatsApp account. Because foreign parties, must require a PIN code and verification via e-mail to access the WhatsApp account.