If WhatsApp can be hacked, what hope for privacy online?
- It is not the first time software vulnerability has been exploited by hackers
- Users may consider protecting themselves by taking extra security measures
“Not again” might have been the first thought of millions of people around the world last week when WhatsApp was compromised.
It wasn’t the first time that software vulnerabilities have been exposed but, more to the point, WhatsApp is known for its high-level security and privacy. If even that app can be hacked, who, or what, can users trust?
Security experts have played down the threat. Only a small number of people were affected and WhatsApp, owned by Facebook, quickly issued a patch that fixed the problem.
Scott Storey, a senior lecturer in cybersecurity at Britain’s Sheffield Hallam University, said that, for the average end user, “it's not something to really worry about: this isn't someone trying to steal private messages or personal details”.
“WhatsApp themselves have advised this was a targeted surveillance attack,” Storey said. “To install the surveillance software, users will have had to receive a phone call from a number they do not know. If you haven’t received one, you haven’t been targeted.” So, for the vast majority of users, their data has not been compromised.
Everyone’s risk tolerance is different and there are security/convenience trade-offs
