The WhatsApp account of Minister for Communications and Digital Technologies Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams has been hacked, according to a statement by the South African Ministry of Communications.
Minister Ndabeni-Abrahams WhatsApp account HACKED!!!
The WhatsApp account of Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams has been hacked, resulting in private and confidential information being in the hands of a third party.
— Dpt of Communications & Digital Technologies (@CommsZA) October 5, 2020
The Ministry stated that the private and confidential information reached an external party, without mentioning who this external party is, and the Ministry did not mention how it believed that the account had been hacked.
Ministry spokesperson Mish Molakeng said: This illegal activity has been reported to the relevant authorities and platform owners to take action on the matter.
The Ministry of Communications and Digital Technologies added: Obtaining and distributing information – illegally obtained – is a crime, and the perpetrators will be reported to the legal authorities.
The ministry said: It plans to follow legal procedures against the perpetrators, without providing any other information at this stage. Commenting on the hack, Phumzile Van Damme, an MP, Shadow Communications Minister and former spokesperson for the Democratic Alliance, said: Everyone, including the minister, deserves privacy.
And she continued, saying: Please and I beg you if there are pictures or videos of a sexual nature that you do not publish, and if you share pictures or videos of this kind to someone through electronic channels without permission, this may lead to your entry into prison.
It is reported that Facebook continues its legal battle against the company (NSO Group) – the developer of the well-known (Pegasus) spyware – accused of hacking into the WhatsApp platform.
Facebook, which filed the lawsuit last year, alleged that the NSO Group exploited a flaw in WhatsApp to spread its malware against human rights activists, journalists, and political opponents.
The messaging platform tries to tighten account security, and prevent the hacking of the WhatsApp account, by activating the ability to log in using your fingerprint, and this new way to log in has some important advantages.
