You don’t have to wait for spring to start cleaning. January is a perfect time to get your business technology organized and start 2023 with a clean slate. In fact, the first month of the year has come to be known as National Clean Up Your Computer Month. Companies across the country participate by performing essential maintenance on their electronic infrastructure. You can prepare your equipment to keep running smoothly and securely for another 365 days by doing the same. We’ve outlined some key concepts to consider when creating your own computer clean up strategy.

Have a Backup Plan
Any time you make changes to your computer, you should take steps to ensure it can be restored if an accident occurs. Backing-up files, client data and other digital assets can help you avoid business interruptions caused by computer maintenance errors and compatibility discrepancies. For even more security, diversify your storage techniques by creating backups on both physical media and cloud platforms.

Out with the Old
Just like last year’s calendar, junk files should be placed in the recycle bin or trash. The amount of disk space available on your hard drive impacts your machine’s operating speed and overall processing power. As such, you can dramatically restore the performance of your computers by deleting files that are no longer needed. Your downloads folder is a good place to start cleaning. Documents can be sorted by the last time they were used to help identify latent files. You may also want to uninstall unused programs as well as applications that come preinstalled on some computers. Ask your IT Service Provider about approved software that is available to automatically delete unneeded registry files, internet cache files and other hidden data as well.

Strive for Digital Fitness
An organized computer is a fast computer. Get your equipment into shape. The simple exercise of renaming ambiguous documents and placing them in appropriate folders can improve computer running speeds and your organization’s productivity. In addition to hardware performing better when it isn’t bogged down by unnecessary file paths – you and your team will be able to find digital assets on the system more effectively saving you time and improving efficiency in your business.

Don’t Drop the Ball on Security
Make sure that each member of your organization has the correct level of access to your digital assets. A good rule of thumb is to make necessary resources readily available — and little else. Your systems administrator can help you sort out user privileges and modify the accounts of employees who have changed roles, been hired or parted ways. You can also take this opportunity to have your staff replace existing passwords with new stronger ones. Use a mix of capital and lowercase characters, numbers and obscure phrases for maximum strength.

In with the New
Even when properly maintained, office technology can quickly become obsolete. If you decide to upgrade your equipment this year, make sure you have a plan to properly dispose of the units that have been replaced. Placing these machines in a regular dumpster or long-term on-site storage presents significant risks for data breaches.

You can enjoy your new technology with complete peace of mind by having the old tech processed by professionals that specialize in electronics recycling and data destruction, such as our team at PC Survivors. All of our data destruction and electronics recycling practices meet or exceed the guidelines set forth by HIPAA, Gramm-Leach-Bliley and all other applicable compliance standards. You can find additional confidence in our membership to NAID (The National Association for Information Destruction), as well as certificates for RIOS (Recycling Industry Operating Standard) and R2v3 responsible recyclers.

A popular New Year’s toast comes to us from the ancient Roman philosopher, Seneca the Younger. He asserted that “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” This principle still bears truth today. We encourage you to make 2022 the end of your business’s digital clutter and start 2023 with a clean digital slate, using the tips listed above.

If you need a partner to turn to, our team is ready to help you.  Call 781-924-3071 or use the contact form here on our website to reach out today.