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: โThis 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 toย Play Store, then tapย Menu ย >ย My apps & games. Tapย UPDATEย next toย WhatsApp Messenger.
- Alternatively, go toย Play Storeย and search for WhatsApp. Tapย UPDATEย underย WhatsApp Messenger.
- iPhone: Go toย App Store, then tapย Updates. Tapย UPDATEย next toย WhatsApp Messenger.
- Alternatively, go toย App Storeย and search for WhatsApp. Tapย UPDATEย next toย WhatsApp Messenger.
- Windows Phone 8.1: Go toย Store, then tapย Menu ย >ย my appsย >ย WhatsAppย >ย update.
- Alternatively, go toย Storeย and search for WhatsApp. Tapย WhatsAppย >ย update.
- Windows Phone 10: Go toย Microsoft Store, then tapย Menu ย >ย My Library. Tapย Updateย next toย WhatsApp.
- Alternatively, go toย Microsoft Storeย and search for WhatsApp. Tapย WhatsAppย >ย Update.
- KaiOS: Pressย JioStoreย orย Storeย on the apps menu. Scroll to the side to selectย Social, then selectย WhatsApp. Pressย OKย orย SELECTย >ย 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.ย WhatsApp believes only a handful of people, including human-rights activists and a UK-lawyer, were targeted.ย 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
If youโd like to speak to us regarding this or any of our services, including our WordPress web designs, please give us a call on 01883 372488 or contact us via Facebookย and weโll be happy to talk you through your options.
