Avoid Fraud Through Digital Cleaning

Spring Clean Your Cyber Hygiene

As some people have said, spring has sprung. With the arrival of spring, many of us work to declutter and refresh our physical spaces. But what about our digital footprint? Just like our homes, our digital spaces can get cluttered. It’s in this clutter that we become vulnerable to various threats. This spring, we’re challenging you to extend your spring cleaning efforts to your digital world! Here are five helpful tips to help you spring clean your digital life. 

The most important step to maintaining digital hygiene is regularly updating your passwords. From your email accounts, social media profiles, banking, and any other sensitive information, all of these passwords should be changed periodically. Ensure you create a unique password for each account and consider using a password manager to securely store them.  

Set aside time to review the privacy settings on your online accounts and devices. Make sure the privacy settings on your social media platforms are set to where you are comfortable with the information you’re sharing and who can view it. Always review the privacy settings on your phone, computer, and other devices to control what information they can collect and how it’s used.  

Scammers often will attempt to trick or scare you into providing personal information or login credentials. This is called a phishing attempt. In order to stay safe, stay informed and calm. Be cautious when opening unexpected emails, messages, or calls that ask for sensitive information. Do not click on suspicious links and always verify that the requests are legitimate when coming from unfamiliar sources.  

Make sure your devices and software are up to date with the latest security updates. This includes your antivirus software, web browsers, and any other applications you use regularly. In cases where you can enable automatic updates, these will ensure you’re always protected against the latest security threats. 

Backup your important data regularly so that you don’t lose it. Whether it’s with an external hard drive, cloud storage services, or both, having a backup of important files can save you from disasters in case of system failures, theft, or any other unforeseen events.  

To wrap up, spring cleaning isn’t just for our physical spaces but essential for our digital lives. By following these tips, you are one step closer to ensuring your digital life is organized and secure. Take the time today to declutter! Your future self will thank you for it!