Why the US Secret Service is Advising Apple and Android Users to Restart Their Smartphones

Today, in what we have, there is almost nothing as valuable as our personal data. Especially since, for the vast majority of the population, these are all concentrated in one and the same place: the smartphone. Suffice to say that if someone manages to penetrate it physically or virtually, the malicious individual would therefore potentially have access to your entire life.

A piece of advice that makes you laugh but can help eliminate many threats

Obviously, when we talk about cybercrime, hackers and data leaks, it can seem laughable to simply tell a potential victim: “you should restart your smartphone”. A phrase that regulars of hotlines and after-sales services from operators have often heard in order to resolve a problem on their device.

However, according to the NSA which, since 2020, has made available a PDF sheet of the actions to follow in order to eliminate or protect against potential threats, the simple reboot (restarting) your smartphone could already be a lifesaver.

Indeed, the government agency, which knows the subject particularly well in view of the scandal which broke out in 2013 concerning telephone tapping across the world, explains that many malicious software may not “survive” when the device is restarted. . Thus, by doing it regularly, iOS and Android users could protect themselves from the virtual installation of possible software aimed at stealing their data.

How often should this be done?

If we look closely at the infographic made available by the NSA, this operation should be carried out at least once a week. However, as the technologies in the world of “smartphony” are constantly evolving, particularly with regard to security, it is not necessarily necessary to carry out this action on a weekly basis.

So, everyone will choose their definition of “regularly”.

Are there other things you can do to protect your smartphone?

Of course, simply restarting the smartphone weekly or monthly does not fully protect against new forms of threats.

In this sense, the NSA has also provided user advice to avoid seeing your personal data disappear into the twists and turns of the web.

Therefore, to avoid or at least protect yourself against most forms of hacking of your smartphone, you must not:

  • Clicking on links in a message, even if the person sending it to you is someone you trust
  • Click on the links appearing in the pop-up windows
  • Connect, without any form of protection, to public Wi-Fi
  • Leave your Bluetooth activated, even in Airplane mode
  • Have discussions on sensitive topics or about personal data. They could be read and/or heard. Ironic, when you think about it.
  • Download apps from third-party stores, even if they appear to be verified by the different platforms
  • Jailbreak your smartphone because if you managed to bypass security, someone else could too.

There National Security Agency also recommends always having physical access to your smartphone so that no one else can enter it, and protecting it with a strong secret code as well as regularly updating the software of your smartphone.

To find the complete list, simply go to the PDF sheet.

Source: NSA / Forbes

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