Being without your phone in today's world is a challenge. We rely on these pocket-sized devices for everything from basic calls and texts to work emails to food delivery—and it's abnormal to be unavailable or unreachable. Still, there are some times when you may power down your phone, whether it's during a wedding or at the movie theatre. And according to the National Security Agency (NSA), it would be in your best interest to find more of these opportune times to hit the off button. In its Mobile Device Best Practices report, the agency recommends shutting your device down once a week.
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The document was first published in 2020, and it provides mobile device users with plenty of advice on keeping phones secure.
"Threats to mobile devices are more prevalent and increasing in scope and complexity. Users of mobile devices desire to take full advantage of the features available on those devices, but many of the features provide convenience and capability but sacrifice security," the document reads. "This best practices guide outlines steps the users can take to better protect personal devices and information."
According to a chart in the document, turning your phone on and off once a week can sometimes prevent spearfishing attempts to install malware on your phone and zero-click exploits. According to PCMag, a zero-click attack can affect your device without any action on your part. For comparison, phishing requires action on your part—usually accomplished via a trick of some sort—to get you to download or open something malicious.
Addressing the suggestions in a new piece for Forbes, cybersecurity writer, hacker, and analyst Davey Winder argues that rebooting your device may not be necessary, but it will "remove the threat from non-persistent malware," i.e. the kind that won't survive you powering your phone off and on.
As Jake Moore, global cybersecurity evangelist with ESET, told Winder, zero-click malware is still "a recurring issue for both Apple and Android operating systems." (But you'll be happy to learn that the companies often spot it and quickly deploy a patch to address the threat.)
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However, Winder says he still supports the NSA on this argument and recommends rebooting to "err on the side of caution." Even better, Moore said turning your phone off and on can also help extend its battery life.
These aren't the only steps you can take to keep your phone protected from malware and bad actors. Moore also recommends keeping your operating systems up to date, and new security proposals from the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency encourage the use of two-factor authentication and passwords at least 16 characters long.
Additional recommendations from the NSA also still apply, including locking your device with a PIN, only installing apps from official stores, avoiding clicking on unknown links or attachments, disabling location services if you don't need them, and avoiding connecting to public WiFi networks.
