THE National Security Agency has shared tips for staying safe on your phone – and they apply to iPhone and Android users across the globe.
The NSA’s Mobile Device Best Practices report includes many tips and tricks to protect against cyberattacks, but one in particular stands out.
The agency recommends powering your phone off and then back on at least once a week.
While this will not always prevent an attack, this can make it more difficult for hackers to install malware or take advantage of vulnerabilities in software to get access to your iPhone or Android.
The NSA also urges users to disable Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular services on their phones when they aren’t in use.
This simple method can prevent hackers from spying on your data and almost always prevents malicious Wi-Fi network attacks.
The NSA generally discourages users from connecting to public Wi-Fi networks, which may be hiding rogue access points that can intercept your activity.
Disabling these services is also a surefire way to defend against call, text, and data collection.
It can also prevent geolocation of your device, meaning techniques that use the phone or its browser interface to gain your location, raising privacy concerns.
Most significantly, simply turning off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth can protects you from lawful interception.
The term essentially describes a legal wiretap performed by law enforcement agencies, who seek to analyze your data or collect it as evidence.
The NSA notes that many of the features available on your devices “provide convenience and capability but sacrifice security”.
The agency also encourages users to consider using a case that covers the microphone. This can prevent “hot mic” attacks, in which microphone stays on without your knowledge. You should also cover your phone camera when you are not using it.
While it may seem unlikely that a hacker has gotten ahold of these utilities, cyber-intelligence experts have proven that it is possible.
In one notable case, Israel’s NSO Group developed spyware that is capable of allowing hackers to access the microphone and camera.
The NSA says is important to only use the charging cords and accessories that came with your phone, or those purchased from a trusted manufacturer.
The agency discourages users from taking advantage of public USB charging stations, as a corrupted port can infect your phone with malware.
For this reason, it’s best to bring your own portable charger with you while traveling.
Users should also update software as soon as a new release becomes available. Software releases often contain patches and fixes for bugs in a previous version.
“Threats to mobile devices are more prevalent and increasing in scope and complexity,” the NSA wrote in their 2020 report.
This statement is even more pressing now – hackers using advanced methods to gain access to information
In December, cybersecurity experts at Kaspersky revealed that they had discovered an extremely advanced iMessage vulnerability between 2019 and 2022.
In what was dubbed the “most sophisticated attack chain” in history, phones would receive a malicious iMessage attachment that would ultimately infect them with spyware.
Here’s what Mackenzie Tatananni, science and technology reporter at The U.S. Sun, has to say:
It is important to have security in mind anytime you navigate the internet or sign onto your devices. Just because you don’t have anything to hide, this doesn’t mean you want strangers spying on your activity. (Yes, this includes your internet service providers!)
I am a big proponent of VPNs, or virtual private networks, which encrypt (or “scramble”) your data to make it nearly impossible to intercept.
I am also a huge fan of the Tor Browser, though I understand this is not for everyone and can be difficult to navigate for first-time users. (I’ll admit it’s also not very practical, considering most websites are not indexed on the dark web.)
I find some of the NSA’s tips extremely helpful and abide by them myself. For instance, the agency recommends installing a minimal number of applications and only ones from official application stores.
In addition to saving phone storage, this is an effective security measure – most, if not all, apps will track you. While no one is truly defenseless against a malicious actor, there are small steps you can take to protect yourself.
This includes turning off location services for the apps you use (preventing geolocation) and managing other settings, including which apps have access to your photos and other data, in your phone’s Settings section.
