When making your spring cleaning to-do list, remember to clean up cyber clutter

Better Business Bureau

BBB encourages people to tidy up digital devices this spring

Springtime is here, and we all know what that means: spring cleaning. This month may be a good time to clean out your closet, around the house or have a yard sale—but what about cleaning up your digital life? 
Most of us have an online presence, own a mobile device or use a computer daily. Whether it’s a status update or photos shared on social media, financial records or personal contacts stored on our digital devices, all of that data could potentially fall into the wrong hands.
According to a recent study, more than 68 percent of Americans store 25 percent or more of their photos digitally. For most, losing these memories to computer malfunctions, viruses or theft can be devastating.
Better Business Bureau serving the Heart of Texas recommends backing up all of your important files. If you’re not sure where to begin, start by going through your device and deleting files you don’t need, uninstall programs you don’t use and clear out your deleted files. But remember, before you start wiping clean your devices, make sure you back up important pictures, music and files to your cloud, computer or external hard drive.
To ensure you’re safely managing and tidying up your digital life, BBB offers the following advice:

• Keep software updated. Make sure all devices have the most recent software updates installed. This includes security software, web browsers, document readers, operating systems and any other software you use regularly. Install anti-virus software on your devices and keep them up-to-date.
• Clean up your mobile device. Delete unused apps and keep others updated. Not only will you reduce clutter, you’ll have more storage space for data and a longer battery life on your device.
• Create better passwords. Passwords like “123456” or “qwerty” are among some of the most common passwords used by the general population. Longer passwords and those that combine capital and lowercase letters with numbers and symbols provide better protection.
• Declutter your email inbox. Delete emails older than a year, and create and label folders for emails to stay organized. Delete messages in your spam folder and unsubscribe from emails you don’t open. Move important messages to an archive.
• Check your privacy settings on your social media sites. Review the privacy and security settings on websites you use to be sure that they remain set to your comfort level for sharing to your friends or the public.