Tech Cleaning: 5 Steps to Secure & Optimize Your Business

by Bryant Troupe | Mar 25, 2025

Have you ever considered whether obsolete platforms or dormant software are silently sapping your company’s time and energy? What if your tech setup has been putting sensitive data at risk without you realizing it?

Let’s take a look at a simple, practical, and effective five-step process that helps improve your operation, bolstering your digital security, without the full-blown IT overhaul.

1. Review Your Tech Setup

Start by getting a clear picture of your digital environment. Think of this like going through a closet: you need to see what you have before you decide what stays or goes.

Document:

All the tools, platforms, and devices in use;
User roles and permissions;
Subscriptions, licenses, and associated costs.

As you review each item, ask: Do we use this? Is this helping or hindering us? You might be surprised how often software remains in the books long after it has ceased to be useful.

Pro Tip: Use a shared spreadsheet for this and review quarterly. You may discover tools you no longer need, or spending that went overlooked.

2. Updates Aren’t Optional

“Old systems are like open doors — a very easy access point for problems.” Up-to-date systems aren’t just about performance – they’re essential for business security. Update the following:

All software applications
Internal systems and servers
Routers or firewalls, etc. (Network devices)

Security patches are also typically part of those updates, and not installing them means your systems are left vulnerable. Enable auto-updates when possible, or have someone run checks monthly.

P.S. Windows 10 will cease to be supported in October 2025 – if your business still relies on it, now is the time to reach out to your IT provider to start planning the upgrade. Read our blog for more information on what to do.

3. Lock Down Access Rights

Think of your company’s digital infrastructure like a building – not everyone needs a key to every room.

Go over:

Who has administrative rights;
Shared login credentials (if any);
Employees with access to sensitive information.

Start enforcing:

Role-specific access;
Two-step verification for logins;
Secure password practices using a trusted password manager.

A simple permissions check can block potential threats before they even start.

4. Clear Out and Back Up Data

If your digital files are stacking up like a crowded inbox, it’s time to clear out the clutter.

Focus on:

Deleting out-of-date documents or project files;
Grouping folders by date, team, or function;
Storing critical data in protected, off-site storage.

By removing unnecessary content. Old data can be a liability, and poor file organization slows productivity. Be sure to test your backups. Backups that fail to restore correctly aren’t helpful when you need them most.

5. Streamline Your Tech Tools

With everything in order, now’s the perfect moment to ask: Is our current tech setup the most efficient for where we are now?

Assess:

Software that’s redundant or overlapping in functionality;
Service providers whose costs have increased;
Tools that could be replaced with more agile, cost-effective solutions.

It might make sense to consolidate several apps into one platform, especially if they offer bundled services like team messaging, project tracking, or customer relationship management.

Is Your Business Running Lean and Secure?

Through these five simple but powerful actions, you’ve asked important questions about your business’s tech health. Are your systems enabling you to grow, or subtly undermining you?

By:

Assessing your digital setup
Keeping your software current
Tightening access controls
Organizing your data
And re-evaluating your tools from a strategic perspective—

You’ve set the stage for a more secure, efficient, and cost-effective operation.

Keep this in mind: your technology should work for you, not against you. Cleaning today may prevent a mess tomorrow. So why wait? Make your systems work for your success and get ahead of the chaos.