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(Homeland) - The Australian Prime Minister and a host of tech experts urge everyone to switch off their phones for 5 minutes every day to bring about unexpected benefits.
Why should you switch off your phone for 5 minutes every day
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recently called on people to switch off and turn back on their smartphones once a day to enhance cybersecurity. Tech experts also agree with this.
Mr. Albanese stated that the country needs to be proactive in preventing cyber risks: 'We all have a responsibility. Simple things, switch off your phone every night for five minutes. Do it 24 hours a day, when you're brushing your teeth or doing anything.'
The advice from the Australian government is not new. In 2020, the U.S. National Security Agency issued best practices for securing mobile devices, including restarting your smartphone once a week to prevent intrusion.
Although rebooting daily may seem like a simple measure, experts believe that doing so is beneficial in some cases.
Dr. Priyadarsi Nanda, a senior lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney, specializing in cybersecurity development, said that regular phone reboots can minimize risks because this action forces the closure of all background apps and processes that may track users or collect data illegally.
Nanda noted that many users are unaware of the apps running in the background on their devices.
'With the extent to which we use smartphones in our lives, we know there are cases where people don't turn off their phones all year round', Nanda, the expert, said, also noting that people should do so regularly 24 hours a day, similar to setting an alarm.
Other malicious processes running on an infected device will also be halted simply by turning off the phone.
'If there's a process running from the attacker's side, turning off the phone will break the chain, even if it only happens while the phone is off, it will still make the hackers feel discouraged', he said.
'The method may not fully protect you, but rebooting makes things more difficult for hackers'.
Signs of unusual activity on your phone
However, some experts believe that rebooting only provides basic protection. This method may not deter determined hackers targeting specific individuals, especially as tactics become increasingly sophisticated in recent years.
Dr. Arash Shaghaghi, a senior lecturer in cybersecurity at the University of New South Wales, said that daily reboots are a first step in 'encouraging users to adopt good network hygiene' because disconnecting can mitigate certain risks.
However, expert Shaghaghi warns about a false sense of security.
'If your password is stolen and you choose to turn off your phone, this will not protect your account and still poses risks. If attackers target a device, temporarily disconnecting may only inconvenience the attackers', he said.
Zero-click attack techniques can now penetrate autonomously without user interaction. Rebooting a smartphone 'may force adversaries to seek alternative means to attack the device after it's powered back on'.
'Regularly rebooting your device can be helpful when your device is not persistently compromised by malware intrusion'.
Expert Shaghaghi stated that smartphones can be compromised for privacy breaches through location tracking apps and eavesdropping on conversations. Caution with installed apps and the permissions granted to apps is also another important cybersecurity measure.
Whether it's an iPhone or an Android smartphone, some signs may indicate that the device has been compromised.
If you notice these signs on your phone, cybercriminals have likely targeted:
A sudden surge in data usage, excessive battery drain, sluggish performance, slow app startups, spontaneous reboots, mysterious pop-up windows, unauthorized app installations, and unusual message and call activities.
