Yeah, spring is here! Many people use this change of season to clean, organize, and declutter their homes. This year, make time to spring-clean your digital life, too. Like your home, your digital life can become cluttered; things pile up, expire, get lost, or are no longer needed. Below are a few tips to help you declutter, organize, and refresh your digital life.

  1. Review Your Online Accounts
    • Review all the places you store account information. Remove all personal information (i.e., credit card information, address, phone, etc.) in accounts you no longer need.
    • Delete the accounts.
  2. Delete Old Apps
    • Review the apps on your phone (and computer) and identify the ones you no longer use.
    • Log into those apps and delete your account associated with the app, including your login and password.
    • Delete the app.
  3. Update Your Devices
    • Your PC is most likely updated (patched) weekly. Is that true for all your other internet-connected devices? If not, now is an excellent time to update them, including smartphones, tablets, home Wi-Fi routers, and smart TVs. Take control and minimize the risks of malware and viruses.
  4. Organize Your Passwords
    • Review your existing passwords. Consider updating them if they aren’t unique and at least 12 characters long, a mix of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and special characters. Make sure you have strong, unique passwords or passphrases for each account.
    • Consolidate your passwords into a password manager.
    • Never store your passwords in a document on any of your devices.
  5. Backup Your Devices and Files
    • Do a complete backup of your important files. Whether it is backed up to the cloud or an external hard drive, ensure the solution is password protected.
    • Test your backup – do a full restore of your files.
  6. Refresh Your Online Presence
    • Review and update your social media profiles.
    • Actively manage your settings, especially your privacy and security settings (don’t forget that when platforms update, settings can change).
    • Review your social media contacts. Do you think you should stay connected with everyone?
  7. Get Rid of the Junk
    • If you have old devices kicking around, dispose of them safely, securely, and in a way that’s friendly to the environment.
    • Remember to wipe all electronic devices completely. You may have deleted your files, but nothing is truly gone until you wipe the device. If your device has a secure erase feature, use that to wipe it; if not, reset it to factory settings.
    • Now that your device is devoid of data, you can dispose of the device in multiple ways.
      • Use the turn-in option offered by many vendors.
      • Explore e-waste disposal. More and more communities offer these services to dispose of and recycle old technology.
      • If the device is still good, consider giving it to a family member or donating it.

While we think spring is a great time to clean, doing these things on an ongoing basis will help keep your digital world more organized, decluttered, and secure.