WhatsApp is a cross-platform messaging app that allows users to send text, documents, and multimedia files to friends via the internet. The document discusses WhatsApp's history and growth since 2009, how it can be used productively for education, business, agriculture, relief services, and journalism. It provides tips for productive use of WhatsApp groups including confirming facts before sharing, being sensitive about shared information, and avoiding shorthand. The document also covers WhatsApp's security features like end-to-end encryption and warns of security threats from malware, metadata access, and storing messages on your phone.

1. Productive Use of WhatsApp and
Its Security Issues
Rtn Dominic M. Kornu (@qaphui)
(RC Sunyani Central)

2. What is WhatsApp?
• It is a cross-platform messaging app for
smartphones that allows users to send text
messages, documents and multimedia files to
friends via the Internet.
• It works with a set of open protocols for
instant messaging that are broadcast on
thousands of servers spread across the
Internet.
06/10/2016 @qaphui 2

3. Some history?
 Launched in 2009
 February, 2014: Bought by
Facebook for $19Bn
 January 18, 2016: Free
subscription
 February 1, 2016: 1 Billion users
 February 4, 2016: Chat group
increased from 50 to 256
members
 April 5, 2016: End-t-o-end
encryption introduced
 May 10, 2016: Desktop version
released
 June 23, 2016: 1,100 calls made
per second
 > 42Bn messages sent per day
Founders: Brian Acton (L) and Jan Koum(R)
06/10/2016 @qaphui 3

4. Application
• Education
• Business
– MEST’s Beam service
• Agriculture
– Indian’s agroinformation-based groups
• Relief Services
– Hudhud restoration exercise
• Journalism
• Etc. …
06/10/2016 @qaphui 4

5. Productivity tips
• Share relevant messages based on group’s
objectives
• limit messages to a max of 10 lines
• Share messages ONLY at agreed times in a
group
• Confirm facts before sharing
• READ web links and other information before
sharing them
• Be sensitive when sharing certain information
– Add descriptions to media you share
06/10/2016 @qaphui 5

6. Productivity tips
• DON’T add friends/mentors/associates to a
group without asking them first
• DON’T add friends/mentors/associates to a
broadcast list without asking them first.
• DON’T engage an individual in a conversation
in a group’s page. Kindly PM.
• Being online DOESN’T mean I want to chat.
• Avoid shorthand! (USE correct grammar)
06/10/2016 @qaphui 6

7. Productivity tips (Features)
• Mute group/individual chats
• You can use custom notifications
• Mark messages as read/unread
• Create and use a broadcast list
• Star messages you wish to come back to
• Use the search feature to look for specific
words in a chat history
06/10/2016 @qaphui 7

8. Productivity tips (Features)
• Disable automatic download of images,
videos, documents
• Select Low Data Usage for calls
• Use info icon to see who’s read your message
• Use ‘@’ to select a specific member in a group
you intend to mention in your message
06/10/2016 @qaphui 8

9. Productivity tips (Features)
• Switch off read receipts
• Hide ‘last seen’ time
• Use reply icon to respond to a specific
message
• Back up your chats
– Default feature
– Google Drive
06/10/2016 @qaphui 9

10. End-to-End Encrytion?
• End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a system of
communication where only the people
communicating can read the messages. No
eavesdropper can access the cryptographic
keys needed to decrypt the conversation,
including telecom providers, Internet
providers and the company that runs the
messaging service.
06/10/2016 @qaphui 10

11. Security threats/tips
• Web malware
– Use antiviruses (update regularly)
– Ignore e-mail messages informing you of missed
WhatsApp calls
• Metadata can be accessed from WA servers
• Reading of stored database of messages on
your phone
– Clear database files from phone
06/10/2016 @qaphui 11

12. Security threats/tips
• Delete media files from phone
– Locking the app and hiding picture folder from
phone’s gallery IS NOT foolproof!
• Verify security code for contacts you chat with
• Restrict access to profile picture
• Deactivate WhatsApp if you lose your phone
• Be careful what you talk about
06/10/2016 @qaphui 12

13. New text formatting?
06/10/2016 @qaphui 13

14. WhatsApp?
06/10/2016 @qaphui 14