To mark the appointment of Darren Goldie as Australia’s first coordinator of cybersecurity, during a press conference in Canberra on 23rd June, Prime Minister (PM) Anthony Albanese recommended that citizens switch off their mobile phones for at least five minutes a day.
The advice is intended to prevent citizens’ data from being monitored by malware.
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GlobalData research anticipates that international cybercrime will reach $10.5tn annually by 2025.
Against the backdrop of trade war between the US and China, as well as Russia’s espionage accusation against the US, the Australian PM’s advice to switch off the phone comes at a time when digital security is more paramount than ever.
In a May 2023, a blog post on digital hygiene from cybersecurity firm Clario emphasises that whilst turning your phone off may “in some cases” protect against hackers, it is not an absolute solution to protect your data. Clario states that “whether on or off” phones are still able to be hacked and directed consumers instead to practice good digital hygiene to prevent attacks.
Apple’s ‘Find My iPhone’ feature keeps phones connected to the internet even when turned off. So, any users with Find My features activated may still be vulnerable to attack even after turning off their device.
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By GlobalDataThe Australian PM’s phone switch off advice also comes at a time when many Australians, and workers globally, have embraced a hybrid working life post pandemic. With a growing remote workforce, employers will need to turn their attention to developing safe online behaviours on work phones and laptops outside of the office.
A 2021 GlobalData poll found that businesses stated the increase of remote work as a predominant reason for heightened spending on cybersecurity and insurance.
