CERT issues WhatsApp advisory to combat surge in cyber attacks

ISLAMABAD: Recent reports indicate a surge in cyber attacks in Pakistan, primarily targeting social media service WhatsApp. The National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) has issued an advisory for the public to guide them on combating these attacks.

According to the CERT advisory, local and international hackers have been exploiting vulnerabilities in the WhatsApp app, to gain access to personal communications, including text messages and multimedia.

CERT has outlined some basic security measures that the users can undertake to improve WhatsApp security. Chief among these is choosing a strong password, followed by a recommendation that users avoid clicking on unknown links – called as phishing attacks – whichh are often used as gateways for cyber attacks.

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Users may also enable biometric locks and monitor their account activity regularly. Connecting to public Wi-Fi networks has also been mentioned as a significant risk for potential cyber threats.

The advisory encourages users to disable cloud backup features, which may inadvertently provide hackers with additional access to private data. Keeping the applications up to date also helps users to utilize WhatsApp’s built-in security features.

Moreover, CERT recommends that users install reputable anti-virus and anti-malware software in their technological gadgets, including mobile phones and laptops to increase the defense capacity against cyber attacks.

CERT urges users to immediately report any suspicious activity to mitigate potential damage.