(CNN Spain) – Cyber attacks have been occurring continuously for years. In Latin America, this is no exception. According to the cyber security company, from January to September 2020, the region recorded 1.3 million ransomware attack attempts, with Brazil and Mexico topping it. Kaspersky.
“According to our data, 55% of computers in the region still use Windows 7 and 5% of Windows XP (systems that no longer receive technical support and are therefore more vulnerable to attacks)”, security analyst at Kaspersky Santiago Pontiroli comments, This is a statement.
Without this, Pirated software rate This is 4%, almost double the world average rate of 35%, which causes a lot of vulnerability, says Pontiroli.
Whatsapp, cyber attack target
Although about 70% of these attacks target companies, Kasperspi says, day-to-day users are exposed in various ways.
Concern for users remains secret, as within cyber security trends for 2021, WhatsApp is the hijacking of accounts, according to a compilation of data made by a software company, the leading messaging application in 112 countries, including Latin America. Zendesk.
“Today (accounts have been hijacked) using social engineering (to request) the verification code received by SMS”, which controls the account, “Detailed Carsparsky Report On computer security trends for the current year.
He added, “In the near future it will be even more attractive to fraudsters for WhatsApp Pay,” as unauthorized purchases can be made by the victim.
Most common attacks on whatsapp
In an interview with CNN, Dmitry Bestuzhev, director of Kaspersky’s global Latin American research and analysis team, reported that the attacker in the previous case tried to register the victim’s phone number on WhatsApp, which received a verification code via SMS Does.
The attacker then contacts the victim and regularly tells him that he has won something but a verification code is required to confirm his identity and thus he is awarded the prize.
Bestuzhev said, “With this code, (the attacker) puts it on another device where he is registering WhatsApp and with that he has control of the account.”
“From that moment on, what the attacker does is immediately enable two-step authentication and the victim will be left without their WhatsApp,” he said.
This is one of the most common ways to attack WhatsApp. But there is also another one that is seen on several occasions, according to a Kaspersky executive.
“Another way to hijack an account is to clone the line. Here it is on the desktop version of WhatsApp. Remember that you will need a QR code to activate it.
“The victim is asked to scan a QR code for any reason (award, a spoof that WhatsApp is improving security and you have to scan the code so that you don’t run out of your line).
“The person who has their cell phone can scan this code where they want (on the web page, send it to the victim’s email). The victim scans it and the session is cloned. “With which they can spy all of its contents, Bestuzhev says.
The risks are great. This is why the need to keep your WhatsApp account secure is increasing. Here we give you four tips to help you do this easily.
Tips to keep your WhatsApp account secure
1. Two-step verification
“Activate two-step verification and provide an email address in case you forget the PIN,” said Paloma Sageerman, a WhatsApp public policy manager for Latin America in an interview with CNN.
What is it about You have to go to your account, then go to the “Settings” menu, then click on “Account” and there you will see “Two-Step Verification”.
You must select a six-digit PIN. In addition to the SMS verification code, whenever you want to register your number on a new device, it will be asked.
If you forget the six digits and need to be restored, after entering your PIN, WhatsApp will ask for an email from you.
Bestuzev explains that the ideal would be to have the option of entering a complex password instead of a PIN, but this two-step verification is necessary, as well as a good password to protect your email from that aspect.
2. Do not fall into the QR trap
If someone asks you to give a written code or scan a QR code, there is a high chance that it is a fraud, explains the Kaspersky manager. “You never have to forward this code nor tell anyone verbally about it,” he says.
At this, Bestuzhev mentioned that secure QR code scanners should be used.
“Before opening the file, (this scanner) tells you what it is and gives you the reputation of this link, if it is malicious or suspicious, and it will not take automatic action to open the page,” he explains.
3. Do not share the code and be careful who you share the phone with
WhatsApp policy states that you should never share the registration code (which comes to you via SMS when registering your account) or 2-step verification PIN with others.
“We always ask our users not to share their WhatsApp verification code with anyone, not even with their family or friends, because it allows someone to access their account,” Szerman details
In addition, it is a priority to be clear about who can access your physical phone and who does not, as this will help you reduce the risk.
“Be careful who has physical access to the phone. If a user physically accesses the phone, they can use their WhatsApp account without their permission,” he adds.
4. Advanced Security Options
Bestuzhev says that these options will not protect your account from possible theft, but they add additional security steps to privacy-related issues.
Regarding this issue, Szerman comments that the advanced security options in the case of WhatsApp are two-step verification and biometric detection.
First you already know how to activate it. In two cases, you will need to go to the “Settings” section of your phone. It depends on the brand, but generally you should go to the option of “security and privacy” and then “application blocking”.
Once here, you will be able to set a security PIN that will be sought in the apps you decide to block and if you forget it you will also be able to set up a secret question to reset the PIN Will be
Bestuzhev concluded, “These are settings that don’t necessarily save your line, but privacy is always good.”
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