Spring cleaning doesn’t just apply to your home, the Better Business Bureau recommends you do some digital cleaning too. April is Digital Spring Cleaning Month.
Digital spring cleaning is cleaning up your online presence and protecting yourself from identity theft, credit card fraud and a list of other problems you really don’t want to have.
Julie Wheeler, BBB Serving Western Virginia’s president and CEO, recommended people start with apps on their phones and computer. Think about whether you have an account and if you use it often, social media accounts are no exception.
If you do use that account often Wheeler advised you to change your password. Remember to make your password different from other accounts.
If you don’t use that account the BBB suggested you get rid of it, especially if you have a credit card on file. Canceling the account protects your information from being stolen if there’s a breach.
Another pointer, back up important files and photos in a separate location.
According to the BBB only 1 in 4 people make regular backups of their data and as a reminder to do so World Back Up Day is this Wednesday.
Lastly, update your virus protection.
“The reason those operating systems are updated and those virus protections are updated is because the crooks have found a way through to access information so that is shutting down that access, so you need to keep those up to date,” said Wheeler.
To take your digital spring cleaning up a notch, click here for additional tips.
BBB Serving Western Virginia is hosting a Secure Your ID Day event at Salem Civic Center Saturday, April 24, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. For more information, click here.