WhatsApp has a security loophole! How to stay safe from hackers

WhatsApp may be the most popular messaging service in the world, offering end-to-end encryption for chats, which is considered secure. However, its biggest weakness has been exposed and hackers can target users from there. WhatsApp chats reportedly have a security loophole that could be exploited by hackers or malicious actors that has yet to be fixed by the company. WhatsApp's role is related to handling user backups when uploaded to the cloud, according to a recent report. Cloud services are also susceptible to hacking, putting WhatsApp at risk.

How WhatsApp Security Works: WhatsApp allows users to backup their chats on their devices (local backups) and in the cloud (Google Drive for Android, iCloud for iPhone), and although the application offers encryption of End-to-end for chats, protection is lost as soon as you upload your chat backups to the cloud. End-to-end encryption is a way to protect WhatsApp data in such a way that only the intended sender and recipient can see images, calls, messages or any content, not even the service provider can see your message.

How Hackers Can Hack WhatsApp Users' Chats: Now, an expert has pointed out to The Mirror that WhatsApp users run the risk of hackers gaining access to all their messages that are uploaded to the cloud, like any malicious actor who can access your Google account. The account could see your texts that will not be protected by end-to-end encryption in the cloud. How WhatsApp is keeping users safe: The best part is that WhatsApp is aware of this issue as it is reportedly working to encrypt chat backups locally, before they are uploaded to Cloud. The feature was first discovered by WABetaInfo and appeared on the beta test channel for a short period of time. Users need to use a passphrase that will "unlock" their device backups, helping to keep attackers at bay. If WhatsApp users forget their password, they may be able to enter a 64-digit recovery key to unlock the backup.

How to keep WhatsApp chats safe: Meanwhile, WhatsApp users can stay safe by using disappearing messages, recently launched "view once" feature for text, photo and video messages is available in the app. These features allow users to send and receive ephemeral messages that are not stored on the device or backed up in the cloud, reducing the risk of their personal data being stolen if their account is compromised. They must also enable two-factor authentication for both WhatsApp and their Google account, where the chat backups are stored.