After yesterday’s news regarding the hacker attack on WhatsApp, the prevention and protection of personal data is more important than ever. It all started a few days ago, when a Darknet user put up for sale an entire database including ben 500 million cell phone numbers stolen on WhatsApp, 35 million of these are Italian.
The user who put the database online is currently selling the data packages to various target markets. To get an idea of the value: the price for the 32 million US issues would be a whopping $7,000. The stolen numbers are usually sold to other hackers and cybercriminals, who use the sensitive data to stage attacks smishingphishing e vishing.
He explains it well Victor Chebyshev, Lead Security Researcher nel Global Research & Analysis Team di Kaspersky, who said: “Once this data falls into unreliable hands, scammers could mount all kinds of attacks, from spam calls to voice phishing. Another big problem is privacy risks. In fact, most online services require you to enter your phone number along with other personal data: name, email address and sometimes credit card information. Doxing, cyberbullying, blackmail, and extortion are among the potential cyberthreats victims may face.”
4 tips to protect yourself from hacker attacks on WhatsApp
To protect your sensitive data and prevent attacks on WhatsApp, Kaspersky experts give us four simple tips:
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