Pedro Sanchez talks about turning off his cell phone for 5 minutes every day. It was in The Revolt where he commented on it while talking to Pegasus about espionage. Josep Albors, Head of Research and Awareness at ESET SpainComment: “For most users, who face more mundane threats, this advice is of little use when it comes to cybersecurity”. Additionally, depending on how it is installed and activated, the malicious program will be effective or not.
““This only applies to specific cases where the malware is present in RAM, which is deleted when you restart the device.” Albors explained. The problem with this memory is that it is temporary and gets emptied when the phone is turned off. In the event that transmission is active only in memory (without persistence), it may be interrupted by shutdown.
The problem is, if malicious software is installed on the terminal, Turning the phone off and on won’t uninstall the bad app. So, it can be activated again when it is turned on. Furthermore, we cannot be sure that the infection has disappeared because the mobile phone is working properly again. It is necessary to know the nature of the threat and act on its causes.
Reboot limits against malware
On the other hand, the US National Security Agency (NSA) recommends turning off/on the device weekly. It can help fight certain infections. However, that doesn’t mean it’s a common way to protect yourself from malware. Moreover, it does not solve the security problems used to access mobiles (as mentioned in the report of the French cyber security agency).
he NSO Group Spyware (Pegasus) Allows access to mobile information. You can also use the camera or microphone. There are some versions that can be activated in memory (without persistence). This complicates its detection. Thus, turning off the device may delete the active program. Nevertheless, the attacker may retain a means of re-entry access.
It must be taken into account that, even if we eliminate the spyware by restarting, if we do not fix the exploit exploit by knowing the victim’s phone number, this device may get infected again. Besides, There are attacks that don’t require the mobile phone owner to click on a link or download a file..
It should also be noted that not all versions are the same.. Versions are documented that are resistant to rebooting. Apart from this, malware can leave more traces on the system, by doing so. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that turning the phone off and on will remove such infections.
This type of spying (tools that state agencies deploy on their chosen targets) is very different from what most users worry about. According to Albors, Facing common threats, restarting rarely helps. Users should be concerned about threats such as malicious apps or fraudulent links.
What to do to protect your mobile
On the other hand, powering off/restarting your phone from time to time may also help. For example, To close background apps or fix memory issues. It is useful in certain situations to make the mobile phone work more fluidly. However, that doesn’t mean it’s free of malware.
To do this, it is important to keep the device updated (including security fixes). It’s also important not to trust links we didn’t request. Apart from this, it is highly recommended not to install apps that do not come from official channels. It is also interesting to have a security solution that analyzes devices and connections The scope of these tools depends on the OS and the permissions they have
Picture | RTV
