(WTAQ) – It’s spring cleaning time – and while most people have probably already cleaned every surface in their house this year, there’s one place you might be forgetting about. Your computer.
Digital cleaning doesn’t mean wiping down the keyboard and cleaning the screen. It’s improtant to take a look at how accessible your information is in the cyber world.
“Take this time to clean up our digital and online presence,” says Susan Bach of the Better Business Bureau, “We want to make sure that people have updated software and security settings.”
For many people – they’re dealing with working from home for the first time. And as people continue to work from home, the line of professional and personal life is becoming a bit blurred.
“On the same device that they’re doing their work-related stuff, they’re probably also checking their social media accounts and shopping online and checking their bank account,” Bach says.
Using the same device for all of those purposes can pose potential security issues – especially with online offers or social media quizzes.
“Stay away from any kind of social media quiz where they’re asking personal information. It’s never a good idea because it stays on there forever. Even if you delete it, somebody could snapshot that,” Bach tells WTAQ News, “Depending on the quiz, they could have the answers on some very sensitive security questions for your online accounts.”
There are also guidelines on how to properly keep and dispose of electronically stored data.
“Back up your files. Use the 3-2-1 rule, which is making three backup copies on two different media types with one offline and in a separate location,” Bach says, “If I just smash my hard drive into several different pieces, it’s fine – and that is not the case at all. It needs to be shredded by a professional.”
For more information on how to digitally spring clean, check out bbb.org.
