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Australian Prime Minister Advises Residents on Cybersecurity

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By John Olusegun

June 29, 2023
4:21 pm
Los Angeles, CA

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has advised residents to reboot their smartphones at least once daily to increase cybersecurity. The information is timely as more people become concerned about the infiltration of their phones by hackers and other unauthorized personnel. He has, therefore, urged residents to be more aware of little actions that can thwart, or at least frustrate, the efforts of hackers and others who try to gain unauthorized access to their phones. The Guardian reported the information from Albanese after he appointed Australia’s first national cybersecurity coordinator, Darren Goldie. The prime minister said, “We need to mobilize the private sector. We need to mobilize, as well, consumers.” He also advised residents on cybersecurity: “We all have a responsibility. Simple things, turn off your phone every night for

The Guardian reported the information from Albanese after he appointed Australia’s first national cybersecurity coordinator, Darren Goldie. The prime minister said, “We need to mobilize the private sector. We need to mobilize, as well, consumers.” He also advised residents on cybersecurity: “We all have a responsibility. Simple things, turn off your phone every night for five minutes.”

Albanese’s advice is not the first of its kind. A few years back, the United States National Security Agency issued some best-practice guidelines for smartphone security. One of the directives was for people to reboot their smartphones at least once a week to prevent hacking. Now, that may not be enough to deter a determined hacker. However, it will frustrate their efforts and may be enough to turn away someone not very committed.

Other experts have shared similar opinions, including Priyadarsi Nanda, a senior lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney, who said that this practice could help to close any potentially harmful applications or processes that may be running in the background and collecting user data Dr. Arash Shaghaghi, a senior lecturer in cybersecurity at the University of New South Wales also opined that rebooting smartphones daily is an excellent habit to minimize certain risks. In his words, it would encourage users to adopt good cyber hygiene.”

The good thing about this practice is that it is easy to imbibe. Albanese suggested doing it while brushing your teeth or every night for five minutes. You can do it anytime during the day to ensure you practice what is now termed ‘cyber hygiene.’ The most important thing is to turn off your phone or reboot it at least once daily.

The reboot option is especially advisable for those who cannot turn off their phones for some reason, such as using them to set alarms. Such people can go on for a year without turning off their phones. By rebooting, however, you can reduce cybersecurity risks significantly. Nanda stated that the practice could help close potentially harmful processes and applications running in the background and collect user data.

People must know that turning off their phones or rebooting daily may not be enough to protect their phones from hackers. However, it will deter an undetermined one. It would also make things more difficult for the more determined ones, as their processes can get frustrated when the user turns off their phones.

Cybersecurity is a thing many governments are increasingly paying attention to. Australia has taken an enormous step forward by appointing a national cybersecurity coordinator. The prime minister’s advice is also a call to action for residents to take cyber hygiene more seriously. By indulging in minor practices like turning off your phone daily or rebooting it, you can frustrate potential hackers from gaining access to your phone.