GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) —The Better Business Bureau has teamed up with the National Cyber Security Alliance to remind people to freshen up their online lives during spring.
By taking part in a digital spring cleaning, online consumers can be safer and more secure against losing personal information and becoming a victim of identity theft. The BBB of West Michigan gave easy tips to follow and advice to begin spring cleaning online.
First tip, "keep a clean machine." Make sure all software on internet-connected devices is up to date to lower risk of infection from malware.
Make sure to "lock down your login." According to the BBB, usernames and passwords are not enough to protect accounts such as email, banking and social media. BBB suggests to begin spring cleaning by fortifying online accounts and enabling strongest authentication tools, such as two-factor identification.
Another tip, declutter your mobile life. Delete apps you no longer use and update those that need to be updated. Added benefits of deleting apps includes more storage space and a longer battery life.
The BBB also suggests to do a digital file purge. Go through your email account, save emails you need and unsubscribe to emails you no longer wish to receive. Also, backup important data to a secure site or another computer or drive where it can be stored in a safe place.
Finally, review privacy and security settings on websites and apps you use. Be sure that the settings remain set to your comfort level of sharing information.
The Better Business Bureau and National Cyber Security Alliance have additional digital spring cleaning tips online.
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Better Business Bureau of West Michigan