BBB tips: Digital spring cleaning

(BBB) — You may be making plans to clean up the physical clutter in your house this spring, but what about the digital clutter on your devices? Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) offers tips for digital spring cleaning.

Read more or hear from BBB Regional Director Pamela Hernandez below:

Spring cleaning season is a great time to check in on your digital cleanliness. Keeping your phone, computer and other devices organized and secure helps ensure your important files are safe and easy to access. Bonus: Cleaning up old files also helps your devices run faster.

“BBB recommends taking a few simple, proactive steps each year to help keep your files safe and protect yourself from malware and identity theft,” said Michelle L. Corey, BBB St. Louis president and CEO.

For those who lose important files or personal data to hackers, malware or viruses, the consequences can be wide-reaching. BBB received over 1,500 reports of identity theft scams in 2023.

BBB also receives reports of tech support scams where a pop-up ad or phone call from scammers posing as tech support agents tells you your computer has a virus or needs repairs right away. If you allow the scammers remote access to your device, they may install malware that opens you up to identity theft. Consumers reported over 1,600 such cases to BBB in 2023.

One St. Louis consumer reported losing $20,000 in a tech support scam in June 2023. A pop-up appeared on their laptop stating that the computer had been hacked and to call a tech support number to fix it. The consumer called the number and the scammers asked for a fee of several thousand dollars to fix the computer. They called back several times stating that there were more problems and asking for additional fees.

BBB’s digital spring cleaning tips:

• Lock down your logins. Create a strong password for all your accounts, and make sure each password is unique and safely stored. For extra security, enable two-factor authentication.
• Clean up old files. Go through all installed software, apps and files on your devices and uninstall or remove the ones you no longer need.
• Back up your files. Regularly copy important files to a location other than your device in case it is stolen or damaged. You can use a local solution like a USB flash drive or external hard drive, or you can use a cloud solution like Google Drive.
• Update your devices. Install software updates or patches as soon as they become available to help protect your devices from cyberattacks. Your device should notify you of available updates. You also can search for software updates for your accessories, such as printers and routers, by going to the support area of those devices’ websites and searching for “firmware update.”
• Use virus protection. Install antivirus or cybersecurity software to protect your devices from viruses, malware and hackers. You can search for trusted companies offering these services at BBB.org.

Visit BBB’s Cybersecurity HQ for more digital safety tips.

If you think you’ve been impacted by a scam, report it to BBB Scam Tracker.