If you think of cleanliness it is likely that you think of cleaning your teeth or washing your hands or cleaning up your home. What about your online life? Similar to your physical surroundings your online environment requires regular maintenance to remain secure, well-organized and efficient.
This is the point where the term cyber hygiene is a simple set of practices that will help you maintain the well-being of your digital devices accounts, accounts, and personal information. If you don’t take care of it, it could lead to security issues, clutter as well as cyberattacks.
Here’s why you should care about cyber hygiene and the best way to provide your digital life with the tidy-up you required.
Why Cyber Hygiene Matters
The digital world is filled with accounts, apps email, files, and accounts. In the absence of routine maintenance:
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Security risks are increasing. Old accounts and old software can be easily accessible for hackers.
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Data gets piled up. Forgotten files, emails, and downloads make it difficult to locate the data you really need.
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Performance decreases. Cluttered devices run slower.
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Privacy is a problem. You may be sharing more personal data than you think.
Cyber hygiene is all about prevention. Like you wouldn’t sit to get a toothache before brushing or flossing, you shouldn’t be waiting for an incident on the internet to begin cleaning up.
7 Cyber Hygiene Habits to Start Today
1. Clear Out Old Accounts
What are the websites you have signed up to but have never visited? Every forgotten account could be an open security risk.
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Use your email address to look up old confirmations for sign-ups.
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Remove or deactivate accounts you don’t need.
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If you’re unable to delete it your account, you should at least change the password to something different.
2. Update Your Passwords (and Use a Manager)
Using the same password across all your devices is similar to using the same password for your home car, office, and home. If one is stolen, all your belongings are at risk.
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Change to unique, complex passwords for each account.
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Make use of an password management system to secure your passwords.
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When possible, you should enable MFA if you can. (MFA) for an additional measure of safety.
3. Uninstall Unused Apps and Programs
Applications you don’t use consume space, and can be running in the background and may even contain hidden weaknesses.
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Make an inventory of apps on your smartphone, laptop and tablet.
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You can delete anything you’ve never used in the last few months.
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Only use the tools that you can rely on.
4. Manage Your Digital Files and Emails
Digital clutter makes it more difficult to keep organized, and it could conceal important data.
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Remove duplicate files or old ones.
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Organise your documents in clear folders.
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Clean out your downloads folder on a regular basis.
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Unsubscribe from mailing lists that you don’t wish to receive.
5. Keep Software and Devices Updated
Updates usually fix security flaws that hackers can exploit.
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Set up auto-updates for operating systems, applications as well as antivirus software.
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Reboot your device after updating to ensure that changes are effective.
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Remove the devices that no longer get security patch updates.
6. Review Privacy and Security Settings
Browsers, social media and applications often gather more information than you are aware.
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Review account privacy settings regularly.
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Remove any permissions that are not needed (like apps that connect to your location or the microphone).
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Make use of a privacy-focused browser extension to block the use of tracking.
7. Back Up Important Data
A ransomware-related attack, a hard drive crash, or a lost device can destroy years’ worth of data and your work. Regular backups protect you.
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Make use of cloud storage as well as external drives to provide redundancy.
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Apply follow the three-2-1 principle: 3 copies, 2 storage types, one offsite storage.
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Check your backups regularly to ensure they are working.
How to Make Cyber Hygiene a Habit
As with the physical hygiene routine It’s the same with consistency. It’s not necessary to do everything in one go. Begin small.
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Choose one habit each week to work on.
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Set reminders to check-ups every few months (like changing passwords every 6 months).
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Make sure you are taking cyber hygiene into consideration as a part of your regular self-care routine.
Final Thoughts
Cyber hygiene doesn’t mean being paranoid, it’s about preventing. A few easy digital cleanup practices can help your devices more efficient and keep your personal data secure, and lower the chance of becoming a victim cybercrime.
Consider the process as spring clean of your online presence When you begin you’ll feel more relaxed secure, more secure, and in control.
When was the last time that you did your digital world a cleaning?
