Here are our 5 must-do jobs to clean up your tech:

1. Clean your Hardware – Remove crumbs and dust from your PC or laptop – you can use compressed air to help blast the debris out from nooks and crannies (be sure to follow the instructions). Use a damp microfibre cloth to clean the casing, screen, smartphone and tablet.
2. Cut the Clutter – Remove unused apps (if you are unsure which apps you should leave you can check here). Freeing up space by deleting unwanted apps and software will speed up your device and help it last longer.
3. Have a Sort out – Go through your files and photos, delete duplicates, old screenshots and any that are blurry and get them organised into folders – be sure to back them up to an external drive. Print your faves and put them up to enjoy!
4. Clear the Cache – When you visit a website or open an app for the first time your device collects data and stores it in order to make it quicker to load in the future. Over time this cached data can cause your devices to run slower so it makes sense to periodically clear the cache.
5. Update Your Operating System and Antivirus – Make sure your devices are running the latest operating system – any known bugs and security issues will get fixed and your devices will run more efficiently. Antivirus is a non negotiable – make sure it’s up to date and running to protect your devices from phishing, hacks and viruses.

Have fun clearing out some garbage and give your devices a well deserved spruce up.

If you need any help cleaning your laptop, PC, smartphone or tablet then we are always on hand. Contact Ben here: https://www.filegenie.co.uk/get-in-touch.html

GDPR – What you need to know:
The Data Protection Act 2018 is the UK’s implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Anyone who uses personal data must follow ‘data protection principles’ and ensure the information is used fairly and within the law. Personal data must only be used for specified purposes and needs to be limited to what is necessary. Find out more about the Data Protection Act 2018 here.

Minimise the Risks
Employees who work from home and that handle personal data must be fully trained on GDPR and how it affects their working practices. All employees must use strong passwords – it’s hard to keep track of passwords so password managers are a great tool to keep them safe and secure. Encourage your employees to use a VPN (virtual private network) when working from home as an extra layer of security.

The use of company devices is the most expensive option (but most secure) for employees who work remotely. The devices should be able to be supported and updated remotely and measures should be put in place to prevent data loss.

If your employees wish to use their own devices for working from home there are considerations you need to take into account before authorising in order to help prevent data protection and security breaches:

• Ensure your employees have up to date software (including operating system).
• Bear in mind the likelihood of family members or other members of the household seeing sensitive data.
• Do other members of the household share the devices? If so, how can you ensure sensitive data is not shared?
• Encrypt sensitive company data – there are multiple third party hard drive encryption software solutions.
• Discourage the practice of storing or transferring sensitive data to insecure storage devices such as USB sticks.

Security Checklist:

• Up to date policies for remote working.
• Make sure all your employees (and you) are fully trained on data protection and how to remain secure when working remotely.
• Guidance on working remotely for all employees.
• Ensure all employees use strong passwords and utilise multi-factor authentication where possible.
• Ensure employees use company email addresses when dealing with sensitive data.
• Control access so that employees only have access to the data they need and nothing more.
• Ensure all employees have up to date antivirus software installed (and turned on) on any personal device being used for work.
• Ensure you use a corporate VPN to keep connections secure.

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When Employees Leave
To protect against data loss you need to make sure you remove access to the company email address immediately. Remove access to all applications and disable, retrieve and wipe any company owned devices.

On leaving, ask the employee to sign a document acknowledging they have returned any company owned devices and that they haven’t kept any company data.

​Have you made a will? Thought about who you would like to take care of your outstanding affairs when you die?
 
Yes or No, have you thought about your Digital Legacy?
 
‘My what?’
 
Your Digital Legacy… All those photos you stored in the cloud, all those Instagram posts, or Facebook. Not to mention your online banking and PayPal accounts, your eBay and Amazon Prime. Your Microsoft 365 and all those other many digital subscriptions, social media, and electronic devices we now use. What happens to them when you are no longer around, or no longer able to take care of them?
 
Worried?
 
Don’t be. Just take steps NOW to make sure that there is someone who is legally able to take care of this for you when you die, or perhaps more importantly, should you no longer have the capacity to do so.
 
How do you do that?
 
Well, Think about who you want to trust to look after your digital legacy, then take a look at this website: Digital Legacy Association > They provide a social media will template and in their toolkit section, information on how to deal with your phone, computer, social media and things like a website or blog.
​(Please note this website also discusses other end-of-life arrangements such as funerals.)
 
You could also consider leaving a sealed instruction with a solicitor, containing a list of your accounts and the passwords so that your nominated person can deal with your digital legacy.
 
Most importantly of all, deal with it NOW. Don’t think this is only for old people either – no matter what your age, if something were to happen to you tomorrow, the likelihood is that you will leave a lot of information about yourself out there and it can only be dealt with if you think about it today.

Your Digital Legacy - How To Plan What Happens When You Die - written for File Genie by Freelance Writer Ruth Raymer @WritingWalking