WhatsApp Security Settings for Work: Complete Guide

Your CEO just sent you a WhatsApp message asking for an urgent wire transfer. You respond immediately because that's your job.

Except your CEO never sent that message. A scammer hijacked your colleague's account and is now impersonating executives across your company. The breach happened because one simple security setting wasn't enabled.

This scenario plays out hundreds of times every day. WhatsApp has become essential for business communication, but most employees use it with default settings that leave accounts vulnerable to hijacking, impersonation, and data theft.

Two-Step Verification (2FA) requires a six-digit PIN to register your phone number on WhatsApp again, even if someone has your phone. Linked Devices shows which computers or tablets currently have access to your account. Privacy Checkup is WhatsApp's built-in tool that reviews your key privacy settings in one place.

Your personal WhatsApp account often doubles as a work tool. Securing it protects client data, company reputation, and your professional identity. This guide walks through ten essential settings you should enable today, plus how simulation training prepares your entire team for sophisticated attacks.

Essential Account Security Settings

1. Enable Two-Step Verification (The Most Critical Step)

This setting provides the single most effective defense against account hijacking. Even if a scammer tricks you into sharing your SMS verification code, they cannot access your account without your secondary six-digit PIN.

Here's what happens without it. An attacker registers your phone number on their device. WhatsApp sends you a verification code via SMS. The attacker contacts you pretending to be WhatsApp support or a delivery service, asking you to share "the code you just received." You share it thinking it's legitimate. Your account now belongs to them.

Two-Step Verification blocks this attack. After entering the SMS code, WhatsApp asks for your six-digit PIN. The attacker doesn't have it, so the hijacking fails.

How to enable it:

1. Open WhatsApp and tap Settings (gear icon on iPhone, three dots on Android)

2. Tap Account > Two-step verification

3. Tap Turn On or Enable

4. Enter a six-digit PIN you'll remember

5. Confirm the PIN by entering it again

6. Add your email address when prompted

That email address matters more than you might think. If you forget your PIN, WhatsApp can send a reset link to that email. Without it, you're locked out of your own account if you forget the code.

WhatsApp will periodically ask you to re-enter this PIN. Don't be annoyed when this happens. The reminders help you remember the code and confirm your account remains secure.

2. Secure Your Linked Devices

WhatsApp Web makes desktop messaging convenient. It also creates security risks if you forget to log out from shared computers.

Picture this scenario. You used WhatsApp Web at a coworking space, library, or hotel business center. You closed the browser but didn't explicitly log out. That computer still has full access to your messages, contacts, and conversations. Anyone using it next can read everything.

Checking your linked devices takes 30 seconds and prevents this exposure.

Review your linked devices:

1. Open WhatsApp and go to Settings

2. Tap Linked Devices

3. Review the list of active sessions

4. Tap any device you don't recognize or aren't currently using

5. Select Log Out

You should see your current phone and any computers where you're actively using WhatsApp Web. If you see "Chrome on Windows" but you only use a Mac, someone else has access to your account. Log them out immediately.

Get in the habit of checking this list weekly, especially if you frequently use WhatsApp on different computers.

3. Enable Screen Lock (Biometric Authentication)

Your phone's passcode protects WhatsApp along with everything else on your device. But what if someone shoulder-surfs your passcode? Or you hand your unlocked phone to a colleague to show them a photo and they swipe to WhatsApp?

Screen lock adds a second barrier. Even with your phone unlocked, WhatsApp requires fingerprint or face recognition to open.

For iPhone users:

1. Open WhatsApp and tap Settings

2. Tap Privacy > Screen Lock

3. Toggle on Require Face ID or Require Touch ID

4. Choose when to require it: Immediately, After 1 minute, After 15 minutes, or After 1 hour

For Android users:

1. Open WhatsApp and tap the three dots

2. Go to Settings > Privacy

3. Tap Fingerprint lock

4. Toggle Unlock with fingerprint to on

5. Choose your timeout period

"Immediately" provides maximum security but gets tedious if you switch between apps frequently. "After 1 minute" offers a good balance for most people.

Privacy Settings for Professional Use

4. Control Who Sees Your Personal Info

You use your personal number for work because carrying two phones is impractical. But should every client or vendor see when you were last online? Should they know you're active at midnight or on weekends?

These settings let you maintain professional boundaries without getting a separate work phone.

Adjust your privacy settings:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy

2. Tap Last Seen & Online

3. Select My Contacts or Nobody

The same menu controls your profile photo, about text, and status updates. Consider setting these to "My Contacts" rather than "Everyone."

Why does this matter for security? Scammers gather information from your public profile to make impersonation attacks more convincing. If your profile shows your job title, company name, and profile photo, attackers use those details to trick your colleagues into thinking fake messages came from you.

Less public information means attackers have less material to work with.

5. Silence Unknown Callers

WhatsApp calls from unknown numbers are increasingly common attack vectors. The scammer calls claiming to be from your bank, IT support, or a delivery service. They use the call to build trust, then ask for verification codes or personal information.

Silencing unknown callers doesn't block them completely. It just stops your phone from ringing.

Enable this setting:

1. Open Settings > Privacy > Calls

2. Toggle on Silence Unknown Callers

Calls from numbers not in your contacts will still appear in your notifications and calls tab. You can see who called and call them back if it was legitimate. But you won't be interrupted by random spam calls throughout the day.

This simple setting eliminates most vishing (voice phishing) attempts before they can even reach you.

6. Manage Group Privacy

Remember when random WhatsApp groups added you without permission? One day you're minding your business, the next you're in "AMAZING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY!!!" with 256 strangers.

These groups aren't just annoying. They're often scam distribution channels. Someone adds hundreds of people to a group, posts fake investment opportunities or phishing links, then the group admin disappears.

Take control of who can add you to groups.

Change group settings:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy > Groups

2. Change from "Everyone" to My Contacts

Now only people in your contact list can add you to groups. Everyone else needs to send an invitation you can accept or decline.

If you need exceptions for specific work contacts, use "My Contacts Except..." to create a selective list.

Data Protection & Hygiene

7. Turn Off Media Auto-Download

By default, WhatsApp automatically downloads every photo and video people send you. This means malicious files, inappropriate images, or storage-hogging videos save to your phone without your consent.

A scammer sends a PDF claiming to be an invoice. It downloads automatically. You open it later thinking it's legitimate. The file contains malware that steals your credentials.

Auto-download creates this risk. Disabling it gives you control.

Disable auto-download:

1. Go to Settings > Storage and Data

2. Under "Media Auto-Download," you'll see options for when using mobile data, Wi-Fi, and roaming

3. Tap each one and select No Media for all file types

This means you manually choose which photos, videos, and documents to download. Yes, it adds an extra tap. But that extra tap prevents malicious files from automatically installing on your device.

You can make exceptions if needed. For example, set photos to download only on Wi-Fi from contacts. But "No Media" across the board provides maximum security.

8. Enable Disappearing Messages for Sensitive Chats

Some conversations shouldn't exist forever. Client discussions about confidential projects. Salary negotiations with HR. Temporary access codes.

Disappearing messages automatically delete after a set time period. The feature works on a per-chat basis, so you enable it only for conversations that need it.

Turn on disappearing messages:

1. Open the specific chat where you want this enabled

2. Tap the contact or group name at the top

3. Tap Disappearing Messages

4. Select 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days

Messages sent after you enable this setting will disappear from both your phone and the recipient's phone after the timer expires. Messages sent before you enabled it remain permanently unless manually deleted.

Keep in mind that recipients can screenshot messages before they disappear, and disappearing messages don't delete from backups that were created before messages expired. This feature reduces exposure but doesn't guarantee complete deletion.

9. Encrypt Your Chat Backups

WhatsApp messages use end-to-end encryption while in transit. But your cloud backups? Those aren't encrypted by default.

Your WhatsApp conversations back up to iCloud (iPhone) or Google Drive (Android). Anyone who gains access to your cloud account can download and read your entire WhatsApp history. No special hacking required.

Backup encryption solves this problem.

Enable encrypted backups:

1. Go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup

2. Tap End-to-end Encrypted Backup

3. Tap Turn On

4. Create a password or let WhatsApp generate a 64-digit encryption key

5. Store this password somewhere safe (password manager, not in Notes app)

If you lose this password and need to restore from backup, you're stuck. WhatsApp cannot recover encrypted backups without the password. But that's exactly why it's secure.

Choose a strong password you'll remember or can securely store. Consider using a password manager like 1Password or Bitwarden.

10. Run Regular Security Checkups

WhatsApp built a tool that reviews your security posture and recommends improvements. Most people never use it.

The Privacy Checkup walks through key settings and explains what each one does. It takes about three minutes and often reveals settings you didn't know existed.

Run a security checkup:

1. Open Settings > Privacy

2. Look for the banner at the top that says "Privacy Checkup"

3. Tap Start Checkup

4. Follow the prompts to review and adjust settings

The checkup covers who can see your personal information, security notifications for new devices, disappearing messages, and blocking unknown accounts. WhatsApp updates this tool periodically, so running it every few months ensures you're using the latest security features.

Top 5 Best Phishing Simulation Tools for Businesses

Individual security settings protect your account. But what about the human factor?

An employee with perfect WhatsApp security settings can still click a phishing link, share sensitive information with a scammer, or fall for CEO impersonation fraud. Technology can't fix that problem alone.

Organizations that invest in comprehensive simulation training see measurable returns. According to IBM's Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024, companies with extensive security training and testing programs saved an average of $1.5 million in breach costs compared to those without training. Effective simulation tools reduce employee susceptibility to phishing attacks by up to 60% within the first year.

The following platforms represent the best options for organizations serious about reducing human risk.

KnowBe4

The market leader in security awareness training, KnowBe4 offers the world's largest content library. If you need training on an obscure compliance topic in seventeen languages, KnowBe4 probably has it.

Strengths:

Massive Content Library: Thousands of phishing templates, training videos, and educational modules covering every conceivable topic. The breadth is unmatched.

Robust Compliance Reporting: Extensive analytics suitable for strict regulatory auditing. The platform generates detailed reports showing exactly who completed what training and when.

Limitations:

Generic Simulations: Templates are reused across thousands of customers. Sophisticated users learn to recognize "that's a KnowBe4 test" rather than developing genuine threat recognition skills.

Limited Mobile Coverage: Strength remains email phishing. WhatsApp and mobile-specific simulations lag behind email capabilities.

Proofpoint Security Awareness

Proofpoint leverages its dominant email security position to feed real-world threat intelligence into training simulations. The platform creates tests based on actual malicious emails it blocks daily across its customer base.

Strengths:

Threat Intelligence Integration: Simulations mirror active threats circulating in the wild. When a new phishing campaign targets your industry, Proofpoint incorporates it into training within days.

Auto-Remediation: Strong integration allows users to report suspicious emails that get automatically pulled from other inboxes if confirmed malicious.

Limitations:

High Cost: Typically one of the most expensive options, priced for large enterprises with substantial budgets.

Complexity: Resource-intensive to manage and configure. Small security teams may struggle with the administrative overhead.

Brightside AI

Brightside AI combines phishing simulations with digital footprint scanning so companies can train people on the same kinds of attacks they actually face. It uses OSINT to map each employee’s exposed data across six categories, including personal information, data leaks, online services, social connections, and locations, then feeds those insights into targeted email, voice, and deepfake simulations.

Strengths:

OSINT‑powered personalization: Phishing simulations are tailored using real-world exposure, such as public work emails and LinkedIn data, so tests feel like genuine spear phishing rather than generic templates.

Multi‑vector simulations: Brightside runs realistic email phishing, vishing (voice phishing), and deepfake simulations, which helps teams prepare for modern social engineering beyond simple link-click tests.

Limitations:

Younger platform: Compared to long‑standing vendors, Brightside has a smaller library of traditional compliance content and a reporting layer that focuses on risk scores rather than very granular audit-style reports.

If you’d like, the next step is to update the rest of the article so it only references Brightside in contexts where email, vishing, deepfakes, and digital footprint management are relevant, and not mobile messaging.

Adaptive Security

Adaptive Security focuses on automation and intelligent difficulty adjustment. The platform uses AI to analyze each employee's performance and automatically adjusts simulation difficulty.

Strengths:

Automated Difficulty Progression: Employees who consistently catch phishing attempts receive harder tests. Those who struggle get easier scenarios with more obvious red flags. This personalization happens automatically without manual admin work.

Low Administrative Overhead: Designed to run effectively with minimal ongoing management once initial setup completes.

Limitations:

Smaller Content Library: Educational materials beyond simulations are less extensive than KnowBe4 or Proofpoint.

Email-Centric Focus: Less emphasis on social engineering vectors outside email, like WhatsApp or LinkedIn attacks.

Riot

Riot replaces boring corporate training videos with interactive, chat-based lessons that feel like modern apps. The platform focuses on user experience and engagement over exhaustive content libraries.

Strengths:

High Engagement Rates: The modern, conversational interface results in much higher completion rates than traditional video-based training. Employees actually finish the courses.

Fast Deployment: Extremely quick to set up and deploy. Organizations can launch training within days rather than weeks.

Limitations:

Simplified Reporting: May lack the deep, complex analytics required by highly regulated industries with strict compliance documentation needs.

Educational Focus: Prioritizes training content delivery over advanced multi-stage social engineering simulations.