A new alert is making the rounds in the form of a reminder for WhatsApp users to steer clear of installing fake or modified versions of the app.
WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart led the thread on Twitter that is now going viral, thanks to the useful information provided that not many of us knew.
While such modified WhatsApp versions do sound enticing and thrilling, they’re never a great idea to download because, in the end, all they do is compromise a user’s security as well as their privacy.
Remember, getting a hold of such apps means you’re never going to be promised the same level of protection that the actual or main app provides, the CEO confirmed.
Meanwhile, Will shed light on how his security team was able to find a number of hidden malware that was secretly and strategically located inside the apps. And no surprise in determining that these apps were those that users downloaded outside of the Google Play Store.
To be more specific, they were related to one particular developer named HeyMods and a few others.
While the luring apps did make some big promises to users, they only turned out to be a huge scam that stole personal details and sensitive information away from them that had been present on their devices.
Will added how he and his team members shared their shocking findings with Google and their team. They are both collaborating on ways to combat such issues and how to rid these malicious apps that are nothing but a hazard online.
It was later revealed how Google’s Play Protect has the capability now to delineate as well as disable any fake versions of WhatsApp on a user’s device that may have been downloaded by them in the past.
Therefore, Will thanked Google for their quick and efficient role in combatting the issue and putting an end to a growing problem being seen on so many Android phones.
Meanwhile, Will vows that he and his security team of experts are carrying on with their great efforts of both finding and eradicating similar apps in the future. He also says that he’s going to have to take some legal action against developers HeyMods so as to prevent such attacks from occurring in the future.
By holding such individuals accountable, he hopes to see a decline in incidents like these that make so many Android users vulnerable to similar attacks.
To put it simply, Will adds that there’s nothing worse in today’s advanced digital era than fast-spreading malicious apps that serve as malware. This is why more developers are being encouraged to create new means by which such attacks can be stopped from moving forward.
Will concluded his thread by encouraging users of the app to only download the real WhatsApp from the Play Store, App Store, or WhatsApp’s official site and also motivate their loved ones and friends to do the same.
This way, fewer people would end up resorting to third-party apps and would end up being protected too.
Read next: WhatsApp Will Soon Be Launching Message Reporting On Desktop And Captions For Documents
WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart led the thread on Twitter that is now going viral, thanks to the useful information provided that not many of us knew.
While such modified WhatsApp versions do sound enticing and thrilling, they’re never a great idea to download because, in the end, all they do is compromise a user’s security as well as their privacy.
Remember, getting a hold of such apps means you’re never going to be promised the same level of protection that the actual or main app provides, the CEO confirmed.
Meanwhile, Will shed light on how his security team was able to find a number of hidden malware that was secretly and strategically located inside the apps. And no surprise in determining that these apps were those that users downloaded outside of the Google Play Store.
To be more specific, they were related to one particular developer named HeyMods and a few others.
While the luring apps did make some big promises to users, they only turned out to be a huge scam that stole personal details and sensitive information away from them that had been present on their devices.
Will added how he and his team members shared their shocking findings with Google and their team. They are both collaborating on ways to combat such issues and how to rid these malicious apps that are nothing but a hazard online.
It was later revealed how Google’s Play Protect has the capability now to delineate as well as disable any fake versions of WhatsApp on a user’s device that may have been downloaded by them in the past.
Therefore, Will thanked Google for their quick and efficient role in combatting the issue and putting an end to a growing problem being seen on so many Android phones.
Meanwhile, Will vows that he and his security team of experts are carrying on with their great efforts of both finding and eradicating similar apps in the future. He also says that he’s going to have to take some legal action against developers HeyMods so as to prevent such attacks from occurring in the future.
By holding such individuals accountable, he hopes to see a decline in incidents like these that make so many Android users vulnerable to similar attacks.
To put it simply, Will adds that there’s nothing worse in today’s advanced digital era than fast-spreading malicious apps that serve as malware. This is why more developers are being encouraged to create new means by which such attacks can be stopped from moving forward.
Will concluded his thread by encouraging users of the app to only download the real WhatsApp from the Play Store, App Store, or WhatsApp’s official site and also motivate their loved ones and friends to do the same.
This way, fewer people would end up resorting to third-party apps and would end up being protected too.
Read next: WhatsApp Will Soon Be Launching Message Reporting On Desktop And Captions For Documents
