Keeping our digital space clean

By Ana Cecilia Pérez

Just as we keep our house clean and our body groomed to promote a healthy environment, we must pay attention to our digital hygiene. Digital hygiene refers to practices that protect our personal information and ensure safe interaction in the digital environment. Just as personal hygiene prevents disease, digital hygiene protects against computer viruses, identity theft and other online dangers. Below, we will explore how everyday hygiene practices relate to digital hygiene.

Hand washing: Hand washing eliminates germs and prevents infections, similar to how keeping our applications and operating systems up to date eliminates vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malware. Likewise, employing strong, unique passwords is like using soap; without them, our defenses are incomplete. Changing these passwords regularly and using a password manager is reminiscent of the act of renewing our soap or disinfectant - an essential habit for maintaining the integrity of our personal and digital hygiene.

Clean regularly: Just as we disinfect surfaces to remove germs, regularly cleaning our devices of unnecessary files and accumulated data prevents digital "infections." In addition, reviewing and adjusting privacy settings in our apps and online services is comparable to closing the shower curtain to protect our privacy. These actions ensure that we only share what we want and with whom we want, keeping our personal information under control.