What is the loophole?
The loophole that has been found has to do with the popular SMS service Whatsapp.
Millions of people around the world use Whatsapp as their primary service. But it is known to have multiple problems so that people can hack into your account.
This new loophole can be found on iPhones and Androids and comes from the connection between your phone number and Whatsapp.
To use Whatsapp to send texts, you have to connect your phone number to the Whatsapp account. These are actually seperate, contrary to what a lot of people believe.
How do hackers read your texts with this loophole?
The loophole works with people changing phone numbers.
Often when people change networks for a better deal, they don’t take their old phone number, but the phone company provides them with a brand new one.
However, changing your SIM card and phone number, does not erase the connection you made on your phone with the old one. If you then want to use Whatsapp, it will simply request you to connect your new phone number.
If someone else gets your phone number after you change yours and you leave your Whatsapp connected, they are able to view all logs and chats that are coming from your phone.
If your friends haven’t changed your phone number in their phone, then every text that the hacker sends will look like it came from them.
How do I prevent hackers from reading my texts?
Of course there are ways to stop this from happening. The first one is disconnecting your account on Whatsapp, before you register another phone number.
Another way of preventing this loophole from happening is installing two-factor authentication. Now, the hacker will need to prove that it is you who is using the Whatsapp account, through a code or a question that they (hopefully) do not know.
Another simple way is by not using an app-based system like Whatsapp or Telegram. They are very prone to loopholes and hacks.
Sending a text online through your browser can actually be a more effective way of keeping away from possible hackers and it does not require you to connect your own phone number to the service.
If you are using such a service, you can send a message to anyone anywhere, anonymously if you wish, without the fear of this message being intercepted or read by anyone else but the person you need it to go to.
