Spring Cleaning for Your Digital Life

Spring cleaning isn’t just for your home. It’s also a great time to tidy up your digital life. By taking a few minutes to include these digital areas of focus in your spring-cleaning plans, you can ensure that your data and devices are that much safer.

Online Accounts

Just like your home, your online accounts – including email, social networks, clubs and organizations, shopping website and cloud storage accounts – can collect clutter and occasionally need a few minutes of care.

  • Review your online accounts (email, social networks, shopping sites, cloud storage) and decide which ones you still need.
  • Remove unnecessary information, like old credit cards and documents.
  • Close accounts you no longer use and update passwords to be unique and secure.

Email Accounts

Many email providers have limits on mailbox sizes, and for security reasons it’s always smart to limit what is available through your email account.

  • Organize your inbox by filing or deleting emails.
  • Archive or delete old information and clear out your trash folder.
  • Unsubscribe from emails that no longer interest you.

Social Media

It’s a good idea to spring clean your social media accounts by taking a few minutes to review your security settings, friends and connections as well as posts to make sure you’re still comfortable with them.

  • Review your security settings, friends and connections.
  • Ensure your information is current and only visible to authorized individuals.
  • Decide if you still need all the social media accounts you have.

Devices

Smartphones, tablets, laptops and computers make your life so much easier, and here’s your chance to ensure that doesn’t change.

  • Delete unused apps and clear out old downloads.
  • Make sure your device requires a password, PIN or fingerprint to log in.
  • Make sure your device’s security and anti-virus software is up to date and working properly.
  • Make sure all software is patched and set to auto-update.

Web Browser Settings

Many browsers can store your passwords or autofill settings, but over time, the data stored by the browser can accumulate.

  • Check your browser settings and clear out old data.
  • Ensure autofill doesn’t contain sensitive information and avoid storing passwords in your browser.

Home Networks

Take time to look at what is on your home network and how you’re connecting to the internet.

  • Secure your home router with a complex password and that its broadcast name doesn’t identify it as belonging to you.
  • Set up your wireless router to use a current encryption standard, such as WPA2.
  • Consider additional security features like firewalls or antivirus software.

Back Things Up

Spring cleaning is a good opportunity to make sure you have a complete backup of important files. Make sure you have a complete backup of important files and that you can restore them if needed.

Take Out the Trash

Recycle old devices but remember to remove and destroy any components that might contain sensitive data.

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