Hackers are trying to get into your phone. A simple reboot might help | Gadget Daddy

For several decades, there has been a sure-fire way to cure many a desktop computer issue: Turn it off, wait a minute, then restart. If that doesn't work, unplug it completely for a minute and connect again.

Network connectivity issues? Same procedure, but with the router.

Now that the smartphone has pushed the desktop from center stage, the same advice holds true. When a problem arises, first try turning the phone off for a minute and then reboot.

It sounds counter intuitive. How can a simple operation correct a complex device's issue?

Because with so many complex operations going on, one small misstep can freeze a screen or send a program into an endless loop. The device's Random Access Memory (RAM) becomes confused. A reboot clears things up.

There is also another good reason to reboot. "Spearphishing attacks" happen when bad people try to install malware on smartphones. The National Security Administration warns that in many cases it is not necessary for the end user to click on any box for the installation to happen — hence the name "zero-click attack."

The Associated Press reported that the NSA issued the guidelines to reflect "a change in how top hackers are gaining access to mobile devices and the rise of so-called 'zero-click' exploits that work without any user interaction instead of trying to get users to open something that’s secretly infected."

"There’s been this evolution away from having (an email user) click on a dodgy link,” said Bill Marczak, a senior researcher at Citizen Lab, an Internet watchdog at the University of Toronto, told The AP.

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Instead, hackers have adopted the use of "in-memory payloads" to break into a smartphone. Those payloads can't survive a reboot, Marczak said, but that doesn't present a problem, since most users seldom turn off their phones.

Rebooting the smartphone helps wipe such programs from memory. It's no guarantee, but it can help. And these days, it takes every tool in the shed to keep things safe.

Plus, rebooting brings with it the aforementioned advantages of keeping the smartphone running smoothly.

Smartphones can even help you remember the once-a-week reboot routine. Simply set a recurring reminder on the calendar or to-do list.

Sometimes small precautions can produce big benefits.

Lonnie Brown can be reached at LedgerDatabase@aol.com.