When it comes to the internet, everyone is a target. In the vast network of networks, every single device that connects to it, becomes part of the overall ecosystem.
Because computers and smart devices have become of people's everyday life, people need to be proactive to thwart any potential cyber risks.
And Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, has told residents that they should turn their smartphones off and on again once a day as a cybersecurity measure.
As he announced the appointment of Australia’s inaugural national cybersecurity coordinator, the Prime Minister said that:
Anthony Albanese added that:
"Simple things, turn your phone off every night for five minutes. For people watching this, do that every 24 hours, do it while you’re brushing your teeth or whatever you’re doing."
While Albanese isn't a tech person and that he is by no means a cybersecurity expert, but what he said is logical.
Restarting a phone everyday is a basic measure, and in many cases, experts do believe that it can help.
This is because restarting a phone regularly forcibly closes any open apps and running processes, some of which could maliciously be monitoring users or collecting data.
Many people don't realize that some apps and processes run in the background, and sometimes even a simple restart can break the malware's operations.
It's worth noting through, that people should be aware of a false sense of security.
If hackers ever managed to steal sensitive information, like login information, restarting a phone will not protect those users because the online account associated with that login credential is still at risk.
It's also worth noting that even when a phone is off, some of the phone's sensor will remain active.
The only big issue is when dealing with malware developed by state-back hackers, or those that likely cost millions of dollars to make.
Some of these malware work on the operating system's own kernel, exists not only in the memory of an infected phone, exploits zero-days to a whole different level, and are extremely persistent.
These malware is one of the biggest threats in the cyberspace.
So here, restarting cannot fully protect people. However, the measure can make things at least more difficult for hackers, even for a bit.
Restarting a phone is a good step to encourage people into adopting good 'cyberhygiene.'
And as a chief of cabinet, Albanese's advise is for the better for most people.