Unfortunately it is not the first time that we find ourselves talking about security on the web, with reference to Whatsapp. Instant messaging service, as well as other platforms or social media, are also prone to scams and suspicious messages. The last one concerns in particular the web version of Whatsapp, that is the one we use directly on the computer, associating our device to the PC. But let’s get to the point. It seems, in fact, that several reports of dangerous messages, which report a text like this but in the form of an image: “Hi, I haven’t contacted you for a long time. I don’t know if you still remember me, so I sent you a picture of me. I miss you so much. How are you? I switched to a new Whatsapp account and would like you to add my new Whatsapp account. We can connect better here” and then the link, through which criminals could come into contact with our personal data. Already from the message itself you can guess that something is wrong, but it is with the prefix of the sender’s number that you can be sure, i.e. +91. An international prefix. This is the one from India for Direct Dialing (IDD) and is used for making international calls within India, basically like our +39. “To venture to say that the scam is the work of Indians would be too pretentious – writes the Messengerwho reported the news -, it is certain that Indian servers and repeaters are often used because use hard-to-trace bounce signals“.
“This situation exposes hundreds of millions of WhatsApp Web users to the risk of having their account stolen – said Oded Vanunu of Check Point -. By simply submitting an innocent looking photo, an attacker could gain control over your account, access your message history, any photos that have been shared, and send messages on your behalf.” It is good, therefore, do not click on any links, block the number and delete the chat. In any case, the Whatsapp site itself, in the ‘Privacy, Security and Protection’ section, provides some suggestions to protect the account. 1. Never share your 6-digit registration code or 2-Step Verification PIN with anyone. 2. Turn on two-step verification and provide an email address in case you forget your PIN. 3. Set a device passcode. 4. Be aware of who has physical access to your phone. If someone has physical access to your phone, they could use your WhatsApp account without your permission.
THE HACKER ATTACKS OF THE LAST DAYS – From hacker attacksIt’s been talked about more and more often lately. Only yesterday, the Atac (Rome Capital Mobility Company), the Ministry of Transport, the Transport Regulatory Authority, the Bologna airport, Camera.it, Difesa.it, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ended up in the sights and the government website. The attack was claimed by the pro-Russian collective NoNameo57. Two days ago, however, it was Ferrari that had suffered an attack by computer pirates, who had demanded a ransom. But the Maranello house had been very clear in this regard: “In line with its corporate policy, Ferrari will not accept any ransom requests as agreeing to such requests would finance criminal activities and allow the authors of the threats to perpetuate their attacks”. Finally a reassurance: “We have collaborated with experts to further strengthen our systems, of whose solidity we are confident. We can also confirm that the breach had no impact on our company’s operations.”
