The 10th February is National Clean Out Your Computer Day. I know, it sounds a little bizzare for an awareness day, but this is actually a serious task that we should all do regularly.
We all get frustrated when our PC's start to run a little slow, but there are many things we can do to help keep them running as efficiently as possible.
Too much data
The more data you store on your computer, the greater your risk in the event of a breach. It’s important to think about the things that you actually need to have accessible on your PC for future use. If you feel you won't need to access a file anymore that includes personal data, then delete it. If there are files you need to keep for tax or legal purposes make sure you back them up to an external hard drive and ensure that hard drive is stored in a secure location.
Taking these steps is even more crucial if you use your computer for business purposes, very often you are required to store not only your own personal data but also data that belongs to your clients.
Turn off autofill and 'remember me' features
Functions like autofill are certainly very convenient, however, they also open you up to risk. If someone were to gain access to your PC they could easily access any information you have ever entered into web forms. They would also be able to automatically log in to any website you may have visited as it will store all of your username and password details.
Other devices
You should also give consideration to other devices you may use such as, smartphones, tablets or laptops. Although the portability of these devices allows us to work more freely, it also increases the risk with regard to loss and theft. Your mobile device may be set up to access data from your PC, so ensuring your mobile devices are as secure as possible is imperative to ensuring your personal data doesn't get into the wrong hands.
As a Virtual Assistant, we are often required to store or access confidential information for our clients. Like any other business we are required to adhere to GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and one aspect of GDPR is ensuring that any systems we use whether it is electronic or paper based are set up in a way that all data is stored safely and securely.
Delete unused programs and run regular updates
Ensure you regularly delete any programs or applications that you no longer use. This is extremely important because software that is not regularly updated is susceptible to malware, security bugs, and more. Removing apps or programs that you no longer use will not only clear up your storage to help make your computer run faster but also limit the scope in which malware can hide in.
Hopefully you will find these tips helpful, and remember these tasks shouldn't take too long but can have a massive impact on the security and efficiency of your computer and ultimately your business.
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