Tech tips: How to know your WhatsApp account has been hacked and tips to prevent it

WhatsApp calls itself fully encrypted but this does not make it un-hackable. Your WhatsApp can be hacked and here's how you can stop it...

WhatsApp calls itself fully encrypted but this does not make it un-hackable. Your WhatsApp can be hacked and here's how you can stop it.

WhatsApp calls itself fully encrypted but this does not make it un-hackable. Being the most widely used chat app, WhatsApp has all kinds of messages including your personal ones which you may not be comfortable sharing with others.

So what happens if your WhatsApp account is hacked. Though WhatsApp can be hacked to some extent only, we don't have to tell you that how bad the hacking can do to you. Once hacked, the hacker can keep an eye on you like when you come online WhatsApp, your sleeping pattern, your online activity and much more.

Hackers can access your WhatsApp data by various means like via WhatsApp web or registering your number on another device. WhatsApp cannot work on two phones at the same time but hackers if register your number on another device, can easily get hold of all your chats including the personal ones.
Hackers can quickly scan your WhatsApp QR code and access your WhatsApp conversation from anywhere in the world. However, this requires hackers to have a physical access of your phone to access the QR code.

To know if your WhatsApp web is active on an unknown device, go to the three dots given at the top right corner of your WhatsApp window. Go to WhatsApp Web and check the list of all open sessions. This will let you see all the devices that are connected to your WhatsApp.

If you are seeing a message " This phone could not be verified", it means your WhatsApp has been accessed by an unknown device also.

There are also third-party softwars available on the web that can be used by hackers to sniff in your WhatsApp conversations.

Tips to prevent your WhatsApp from getting hacked:

-- Log out from all computers that you see in the list under WhatsApp Web. This will stop hackers from reading your chats further. However, this should be done every time you use WhatsApp web.

-- Do not leave your phone unattended when you are out.

-- Lock all your apps to prevent unknown people to access your apps.

-- Do not connect your phone to unknown WiFi connections as hackers can also use the unique MAC address to access all your WhatsApp chats.

-- In case, your WhatsApp is already hacked, deactivate your account by emailing at support@whatsapp.com. Your account will be automatically deleted if not accessed for 30 days.

--Enable 2 step verification under WhatsApp Account settings. This will add an extra layer of security over the app.