The best tips on using new technologies may seem very simple or common sense, but they are often the most effective. The Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, has released one of these recommendations this week with the aim of preventing attacks by cybercriminals on the personal mobile devices of its citizens.
Albanese has asked users of iPhone, the most popular mobile phone in Australia, to turn their smartphones off and on once a day as a cybersecurity measure. Technology experts endorse this measure: although a daily restart may seem like a basic measure, specialists confirm that it can be of great help:
The measure was released by Albanese after stating that the country needs to be proactive to counter cyber risks, announcing the appointment of Australia's first national cybersecurity coordinator: "We have to mobilize the private sector and also consumers," explained the Prime Minister.
“We all have a responsibility. Simple things, turn off the phone every night for five minutes. For people who see this, do it every 24 hours, do it while brushing your teeth or whatever you're doing," Albanese said.
In fact, Australia is not the first country where an official body has given this advice. In 2020, the US National Security Agency released best practice guidelines for mobile device security, which included restarting smartphones once a week to prevent hacks.
Priyadarsi Nanda, a professor at the University of Technology Sydney, has defended this practice because regularly restarting a phone can minimize the risk of a hack by forcibly closing apps and processes running in the background that might be watching. maliciously targeting users or collecting data.
