Many criminal techniques are currently proliferating whose purpose is to take over online accounts for bad purposes. As it could not be otherwise, WhatsApp accounts are also among the loot sought by hackers.
Due to its characteristic of exchanging information between contacts, a WhatsApp account in criminal hands can be used to defraud the owner’s contacts or investigate bank account passwords, payment methods, among other strictly confidential data that is shared through conversations.
Luckily, those in charge of WhatsApp have implemented an additional security method against attempts to steal the accounts of its users, which usually occur through the appropriation of the verification code required during account registration on a new device. This is two-step verification.
What is two-step authentication and how does it work in WhatsApp?
Two-step authentication is a security feature that helps protect online accounts by adding a login confirmation to the primary authentication method. If you configure this feature in WhatsApp, you will be asked to enter a six-digit confirmation PIN upon any login attempt on a new device.
We show you how to do it.
On iPhone, go to WhatsApp and open Settings. Tap Account > Two-Step Verification. Click on Activate. Enter the six-digit PIN. Then follow the instructions.
On Android, open WhatsApp and click on the menu icon (three dots located at the top of the screen). Then, select Settings. Go to Account > Two-Step Verification. Click on Activate. Enter the six-digit PIN. Then, follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
Once WhatsApp two-step verification is activated, every time you start a user session, you will need to enter the configured security PIN, in addition to the verification code that arrives by SMS or phone call.