Data Security and Privacy in Mobile Technology: A case of Whatsapp Web
Abstract:
Mobile computing technology is
on the ever ascending trajectory, making it the technology to use in any thriving
industry. Mobile computing technology is thriving due to its portability as such
it is very easy to carry around and can be operated anywhere. However, due to the
size of most mobile devices that run mobile apps being very small, which also makes
it more portable, it sometimes impedes its usage on very large data inputs volumes.
Most people find it more comfortable using their personal computers or laptops to
prepare and store their documents and other files. This article reviews the benefits
of using WhatsApp web, the potential privacy or security vulnerability as compared
with other screen mirroring or casting technologies such as Vysor, Mobizen, AirDroid,
etc. It is recommended that WhatsApp web connects to the mobile device through a
WiFi or USB as implemented in AirDoid instead of connecting directly to the WhatsApp
server once the QR code has been scanned using the WhatsApp on the mobile. Secondly,
WhatsApp must implement automatic logout of older WhatsApp web sessions instead
of just disconnecting the older session once a new session is connected and reconnects
the older session once the new one is disconnected since this increases the vulnerability
of the end-user.
Keywords: WhatsApp
Web, Data Security, Privacy, Screen mirroring, Screen casting, Mobile Technology.
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