If you have seen the news today, you will know that WhatsApp has urged its 1.5 billion users to ensure they have the latest update of their incredibly popular app installed after a security breach by hackers resulted in the development of software which allowed them to listen in on your phone.
Once the software has been installed on your phone, the Pegasus spyware has the ability to turn on the phone’s camera and microphone, read emails and messages and collect information about the location of the person using the phone.
In a statement, WhatsApp said: “This attack has all the hallmarks of a private company known to work with governments to deliver spyware that reportedly takes over the functions of mobile phone operating systems.”
How do I update WhatsApp on my phone?
The good news is that you can easily update WhatsApp from your phone’s application store. Please note if you received a message that isn’t supported by your version of WhatsApp, these are the steps which you must follow to update WhatsApp.
- Android: Go to Play Store, then tap Menu > My apps & games. Tap UPDATE next to WhatsApp Messenger.
- Alternatively, go to Play Store and search for WhatsApp. Tap UPDATE under WhatsApp Messenger.
- iPhone: Go to App Store, then tap Updates. Tap UPDATE next to WhatsApp Messenger.
- Alternatively, go to App Store and search for WhatsApp. Tap UPDATE next to WhatsApp Messenger.
- Windows Phone 8.1: Go to Store, then tap Menu > my apps > WhatsApp > update.
- Alternatively, go to Store and search for WhatsApp. Tap WhatsApp > update.
- Windows Phone 10: Go to Microsoft Store, then tap Menu > My Library. Tap Update next to WhatsApp.
- Alternatively, go to Microsoft Store and search for WhatsApp. Tap WhatsApp > Update.
- KaiOS: Press JioStore or Store on the apps menu. Scroll to the side to select Social, then select WhatsApp. Press OK or SELECT > UPDATE.
We encourage you to always use the latest version of WhatsApp. Latest versions contain the newest features and bug fixes.
Have you been hacked?
It’s too early to say. WhatsApp believes only a handful of people, including human-rights activists and a UK-lawyer, were targeted. Citizen Lab, a research group at the University of Toronto, said: “We believe an attacker tried (and was blocked by WhatsApp) to exploit it as recently as yesterday to target a human rights lawyer.”
Further Information
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