Controversial Puk Confessions site hacked

The controversial Potchefstroom-based Instagram page Puk Confessions was hacked over the past weekend, apparently by a group called the Anonymous Hacktivist Group.

On Saturday, 3 April 2021, users of the site witnessed a sudden change in name and appearance of the popular page. The name of the page had been changed to “Kursat19kk”, the biography page was deleted, a picture of a man holding a Turkish flag was posted and also used as a profile picture.

Puk Confessions is a page where its followers post anonymous messages about a variety of topics. People often post controversial opinions on the page. While many students don’t enjoy the page, it has many supporters. The page was started by a student in 2019. It had almost 19 000 followers by the time it was hacked.

The founder of the page said she was shocked to see the page had been hacked. “The one moment I could still post, the next I couldn’t even log into the page,” she said.

On Tuesday, 6 April 2021, she received a message from a group calling themselves the Anonymous Hacktivist Group. “Don’t even try to make a new page, it will be in vain,” a part of the message read.

According to Minke Swart (22), a postgraduate business studies student at the NWU (Potchefstroom), Puk Confessions is a platform for students to express themselves. “Students can be honest on the page, the posts never fail to put a smile on my face,” she said.

However, a student who commented on Instagram about the site, did not like it and said the posts are often of a sexual nature. Another student said: “I lost my confidence in young people, I expected more from us.”

The founder of the page said the page provided an outlet and support to students during the Covid-19 lockdown period. “It is amazing how the page has grown over the last few years. Students were reminded of a normal life, it brought a bit of normalcy back.”

During the lockdown a student posted: “A day at the canal and a sundowner at the train track [a popular student hangout spot] would be nice right now, Potch I miss you!”

The virtual private network provider NordVPN provides some tips and tricks to prevent your Instagram page from being hacked:

• Avoid using your Facebook account details to log into your Instagram page, your Facebook credentials might be exposed and lead to trouble in the future.
• Your password is your best (and most important) friend, a strong password will keep your page secure.
• Stranger danger: Any conversations you might have with strangers via social media might lead to your account being hacked.
• Enable two-factor authentication. Change your privacy settings to receive an authentication code via SMS or an authentication application.
• Protect your IP address with a VPN, especially if you regularly use public Wi-Fi when browsing through social media.
• Do not view Instagram posts on other platforms. A lot of online articles have embedded Instagram content, viewing Instagram posts via these stories might just land your account details in the wrong hands.