WhatsApp: the guide to prevent cybercriminals from taking screenshots of your chats
whatsapp messenger It is an instant messaging platform that is poor in terms of functions, but rich in security and privacy. These are its main characteristics and that keep it number one worldwide, since it has end-to-end encryption, a mechanism that is responsible for encrypting all your conversations, including text messages and multimedia files (photos, videos, audio, etc.), which means that not even the application itself will have access to this type of content, calls and video calls, states and backup copies They are also encrypted.
For this reason, millions of users not only use it to chat, but also as a notepad, where they send themselves messages to remember an email or password, bank account numbers, images of their credit cards or debit, work documents, etc., it is undoubtedly a confidential information that you would not like it to fall into the hands of third parties. Also, it works better than a notepad app, why? Because of the backup, if your cell phone is lost or stolen, you can restore the information with the backup copy.
Another noteworthy fact is that now it is possible to activate the unlocking with a fingerprint, thus reinforcing the security of your account because they will need your finger to access the conversations; however, many fall for popular cybercriminal scams and install a dangerous new malware virus called “AgentTesla”, the same one capable of circumventing any WhatsApp security filter and takes screenshots of personal and group conversations.
Steps to avoid AgentTesla virus and protect your WhatsApp account
- First, this virus was discovered by the technology portal “Robotina.US”. AgentTesla can infect cell phones, tablets, computers, and laptops.
- How does malware infect you? Simple, cybercriminals get your email and send you a message posing as a well-known parcel company, possibly telling you that you have won a prize.
- This email seems genuine because it has the company logos and even reference numbers.
- If you fall for the popular scam, they will ask you to download an element that at first glance looks like an image, but it is a file with the extension “.jpg.xxe”.
- If you downloaded it, the virus will have infected your device immediately.
- Over time it will start to take screenshots of your WhatsApp conversations and to other messaging applications, all this without you noticing.
- In addition, get the passwords of the banking apps and those that you saved in the browser.
- It also logs keystrokes and steals information stored on the computer.
- We recommend you format the computer quickly or install a good antivirus.
Why you shouldn’t archive your WhatsApp conversations
- Many times people think that archiving a conversation will be the best way to hide some chats.
- However, there are several factors for those writings not to be archived.
- The first of these is that if you have used a group or individual chat to be able to share documentation, that conversation will weigh more than normal.
- To do this, we recommend that you move those files elsewhere and delete the conversation or schedule it for automatic deletion.
- Another is that those chats may air something secret soon.
- It may also be that these conversations are several and you forget about their existence.
- It’s always best to delete all those conversations from people you spoke to just once.
- Remember that the more chats you have archived, they can be too large, up to 2 GB. Free up that space.
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