This time round, I used a technique called “shoulder surfing”, which I like to call “shoulder jacking” and which involves someone looking over your shoulder in order to steal your sensitive information such as passwords, PINs or confirmation codes. So, I decided to see what the security was like on the app and see if it could be as easily dodged as with WhatsApp. On the other hand, they’re also sometimes viewed as those who cut security corners – from not setting up two-factor authentication to sharing passwords with friends. Generation Z are often thought of as “tech savvy”, having been the first generation to grow up with technology from their early years. Snapchat caught my eye due to its target audience of 18-24-year-olds (although many of its users are thought to be younger). These experiments are not just about highlighting how easily it can be achieved, but also about taking the opportunity to show you the prevention methods available to help secure all your accounts. I recently looked at the top 10 free apps on the Apple App Store and decided to target one to see if I could take control of someone else’s account.

But now as we slowly start to mix with people again, I thought it would be fun to test out my old tricks on unsuspecting victims – I mean friends – to see if it is still possible in well-known apps.

It’s just not the same hacking your own accounts, lockdowns or not. Oh snap! This is how easy it may be for somebody to hijack your Snapchat account – all they need to do is peer over your shoulder.Īfter demonstrating in 2020 the ease with which anybody can hijack your WhatsApp, I took a hiatus in ethically hacking people’s accounts.

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