Most people never turn their phones off. Perhaps they don't want to miss a timely call or text, or they simply don't see the necessity. Here's why you should turn off your phone and reboot it - plus how often - to protect your privacy and data.
Zero Click Attacks
As the name implies, a zero-click cyberattack is a little-known way hackers can compromise a device without the owner's action. Other attack methods—phishing or smishing—trick people into clicking bad links or initiating a malicious download. Zero-click attacks capitalize on existing vulnerabilities in operating systems.
One type of zero-click attack has been in the news for years: software from NSO Software has attacked IOS and Android devices to spy on activists and other high-profile officials. Targets have also included reporters whose work is deleted because governments don't like what they are writing, or environmentalists whose work disrupts corporate activities.
Zero-click attacks are particularly dangerous because they are invisible to the victims. They exploit loopholes in the data-verification functions of apps and operating systems. If the operating system on your phone, for example, believes the data it receives can be trusted, it will allow it in. Bad code can be in any message, document, or image. You don't even have to open or answer for the damage to be done. Once on your device, the files start to work to glean information stored there and report it back to the hackers for sale or exploitation.
How To Protect Yourself
A very simple way to protect yourself is to turn off your phone once a week. Security experts say doing this resets your device's operating system, canceling any files downloaded by hackers. Shutting down also allows the device to run more smoothly.
While you are at it, keep your apps and systems regularly updated. Software manufacturers frequently patch vulnerabilities they detect, and routine updates contain these fixes. They take a few minutes to install and could save you months to years of headaches dealing with a stolen identity.
Sources: PC World, PC Magazine,
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