The number of ‘spoofing’ attacks, those in which ‘hackers’ manage to impersonate a person’s identity, has increased considerably in the WhatsApp messaging application in the last year.
This cybercrime technique is one of the biggest risks faced by small and medium-sized businesses worldwide. In these cases, criminals send emails from an account, but the recipient receives an ’email’ that appears to be sent by their boss, a co-worker or a regular provider.
However, PandaLabs, the ‘anti-malware’ laboratory of the cybersecurity company Panda Security, has detected that spoofing attacks have increased significantly in the last year on WhatsApp.
Panda Security has said in a statement that although the developers of the ‘app’ have managed to improve security thanks to a double authentication system, the risk of hackers supplanting the identity of a person in WhatsApp, continues being “worrying.”
To avoid such attacks, WhatsApp warns on its website that the ‘hackers’ who want to deceive users of the ‘app’ through messages usually say that they represent WhatsApp, the message requests that it be forwarded, says that it You can avoid a penalty if it is not forwarded or promises a gift.
In addition, WhatsApp recommends that if a user receives such messages, block the sender, ignore the content and delete the message. “To protect your contacts, never forward a suspicious message,” he adds.
Panda Security has also underlined the growth of applications that promise illicit actions such as “monitor employees” to read their messages and check their browsing history, such as mSpy or SpyFone.
