WhatsApp Hack: How to Update Your App and Protect Your Data

Posted on the 18 May 2019 by Katy Perry
With over millions of active users per month and nearly over a billion of active accounts, WhatsApp has been people’s one of the favorite messaging apps. As the number of users has increased so has the number of malicious activities.

Through an infected WhatsApp hack call, a virus capable enough of hacking calls, texts, initiating microphone, camera, etc. can be activated on your device.

So with the view of keeping you all away from such hazardous activities, here is a complete article dedicated to WhatsApp Hack: How to Update Your App and Protect Your Data.

There are ways through which one can keep themselves away from such things. Follow the article for more –

WhatsApp Hack – What has happened?

As per the data collected by Facebook and other reliable sources, a form of malware can enter into someone’s device via phone calls or texting over messaging apps.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp found a defect in its audio calling feature that may be an anchor to such threats.

Through particular infected calls over WhatsApp, malware can take its place on your device and result in hacking calls, logs, charts, data, activating the camera, microphone, etc. This malware is something that you cannot run away from such a threat. No, there isn’t anyway.

The most difficult thing is that even if one has not picked up such calls, the virus still gets its way into the device.

This happens because there is a vulnerability in the WhatsApp calling software that enables the code to be executed on a device.

In case the user has not picked up the WhatsApp call, the malware gets its way into their device thus giving the hackers limitless access to data.

When the spyware gets installed on your device, no means for confirming an attack are left since the virus clears it all.

Such spyware or malware can result in not just hacking of WhatsApp data but overall phone’s records, data, etc. Every action of yours on your device will be collected by the spyware.

Even the end-to-end encrypted messages can be seen using such spyware as it operated on a handset.

Since the time WhatsApp has been aware of such malware, it is trying its best in controlling the same somehow.

Take action now to stop spyware being installed via WhatsApp

To keep you all as much away from it as possible, updating WhatsApp could be a useful trick about which we have mentioned further.

Updating WhatsApp can help users in many ways. Not just the features but security and privacy are also enhanced through an app update.

Although Updates do not assure complete protection against such threats, the security protocols help somehow.

The WhatsApp messenger also allows its users to select the cloud service of their will. They can choose Google Drive or iCloud or any other similar cloud vault.

The cloud service does not offer end-to-end encryption for messages but they are still encrypted.

Update to Latest WhatsApp Version on Android

Step 1. Go to the Google Play Store.

Step 2. Tap on the Menu option.

Step 3. Select Apps and Games category.

Step 4. You will see a list of apps installed on your device. Click on the Update option and click on WhatsApp.

Step 5. As soon as you click on the Update option in front of the WhatsApp icon, the app will be updated soon. This will be really helpful in case of WhatsApp Hack.

Update to Latest WhatsApp Version on iOS

Step 1. Go to the Apple Store.

Step 2. Visit the Updates section.

Step 3. Click on the update option in front of the WhatsApp icon and then the app will be updated soon.

It is always recommended to update the apps on your device whenever an update is available.

Although such updates will not get you away from the malware or threats, they surely help keep your account safe through the WhatsApp security protocols.

One can also use the two-factor authentication on WhatsApp. This will need the user to enter the verification code set by him in order to access chats on WhatsApp. This way you can save the chats on your device even if your device is lost.

No matter what device you use or what Operating system you prefer, WhatsApp users with iOS, Android and Windows too can get affected by the virus.

Users specifically with the following WhatsApp versions are vulnerable to such WhatsApp voice calling are –

  • WhatsApp for Android version 2.19.134 or below.
  • WhatsApp Business for Android version 2.19.144 or below.
  • WhatsApp for iOS v2.19.51.
  • WhatsApp for Business iOS v2.19.51 or below.
  • WhatsApp for Windows Phone v2.18.348 or below.
  • WhatsApp for Tizen v2.18.15 or less

Wrapping Up

Such spyware, malware are great threats to the privacy of any user. There is no 100% assurance given by WhatsApp to tackle such problems.

As per the company, WhatsApp is still investigating the WhatsApp Hack.

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