From Cybersecurity: It's time for digital spring cleaning

Spring is coming to a close, but it’s not too late to do some digital spring cleaning! Many are decluttering physical rooms, closets and digital spaces. Just as a clean home is important to maintain a healthy living environment, it’s equally crucial to spruce up online presence and computer files, and update internet-connected devices to safeguard against cyberthreats.

Digital footprints grow larger every day. Personally identifiable information (PII) will likely spread across many accounts and may even be linked to old phones and computers, leaving it vulnerable to unauthorized access.

Take note of the following tips to ensure digital spaces are clean and free from cyber threats.

Physical Cleaning Tips

  • Know what devices you have. Take inventory of personal devices, both old and new. Include phones, wearable technology, desktop computers, tablets, copiers, printers and fax machines. Old and broken electronics are often forgotten, but data stored on them can still be compromised.
  • Handle old devices and hard drives safely. Before donating or recycling old devices, ensure PII can’t be accessed by unknown persons. After backing up files, perform a factory reset on old computers and mobile devices where applicable. Remove any memory cards or hard drives. To fully ensure data is inaccessible, have old hard drives properly destroyed by a trusted vendor.
  • Donate or recycle old devices. Identify local e-waste recycling programs or facilities. Check with local officials, municipality websites and local message boards for any recycling events where personal devices can be recycled. Consider looking into nonprofit organizations that refurbish devices to donate to schools or other communities in need.

Digital Cleaning Tips

  • Back up data. Regularly back up important files and documents to an external hard drive or cloud storage service. This ensures that personal data remains accessible even in the event of a data breach, hardware failure, or loss or theft.
  • Scan for malware. Use reputable antivirus software to scan devices for malware and other malicious programs. Schedule regular scans to detect and remove any potential threats lurking on systems.
  • Declutter email accounts. Clean out personal and work email inboxes by unsubscribing from newsletters that are no longer read and promotional emails from stores that aren’t frequented. Delete old emails containing sensitive information and empty the trash folder to free up storage space.
  • Update passwords. Make sure the passwords for all online accounts are unique, complex and robust.
  • Enable MFA. One of the easiest ways to safeguard accounts is by enabling multifactor authentication (MFA). MFA uses two types of credentials when logging into an account, typically something one knows (e.g., passwords and security questions) and something one has (e.g., text message to a personal device, code sent to an authentication app).
  • Review online accounts. Review and adjust privacy settings on social media and other online accounts. Limit the amount of personal information shared publicly to reduce the risk of identity theft or online harassment. Additionally, review the information saved on various accounts and delete information that is not crucial, such as payment methods or documents that may have been stored on the platform’s cloud.
  • Enable alerts for financial accounts. Financial accounts can alert users of any transaction that occurs. While this may seem like another notification to add to a growing list, it’s a helpful tool to stop fraudulent activity.

By following these simple tips and maintaining good cybersecurity hygiene, the risk of falling victim to cyberthreats can be minimized. A little effort now can go a long way toward protecting digital assets and personal information.