The digital equivalent of spring cleaning extends beyond physical spaces to the files, applications, and accounts cluttering personal devices, according to cybersecurity guidance published by the Associated Press. Clearing out dormant logins and forgotten data can shrink the “attack surface” available to malicious actors, Malwarebytes product vice president Michael Sherwood said. “Clutter is fuel for scammers,” Sherwood said. “Old accounts, exposed data and forgotten apps give them more ways in.”
Internal storage limits on phones and laptops can slow device performance and block essential operating system updates, the report said. Users can identify which applications and files consume the most space through built-in dashboards in iPhone, Android, Windows, and Mac settings menus. Archiving important documents to an external drive or cloud service before deleting them frees local capacity while preserving data.
Email inboxes typically accumulate unread notifications, receipts, newsletters, and spam that can hinder productivity, cybersecurity experts said. Sorting messages by sender, date, or file attachment size helps identify large or obsolete batches for deletion. Unsubscribing from inactive mailing lists reduces ongoing traffic, the guidance noted.
Deleting unused mobile applications clears additional storage, but users should also log into those services and close the underlying accounts, experts advised. Account information remains on file if the login is merely left inactive. “Every dormant account is an open door,” Sherwood said. “Scammers actively target abandoned logins because no one’s watching.”
Keeping retained applications and operating systems current is a baseline security practice, the report said. Checking app stores and system settings for the latest software updates and security patches ensures devices run the most protected versions available.
Social media accounts require periodic privacy audits to limit data exposure, cybersecurity professionals said. Reviewing what personal information is publicly accessible and restricting which third-party services can access profile data strengthens account security. Yubico chief information security officer Chad Thunberg said limiting public footprints “helps to reduce the risk of falling victim to cyberattacks such as phishing and identity theft.”
Website logins often create connections to primary email or social media accounts that persist even when the third-party service is no longer used, the report noted. Auditing connected apps in Google and Facebook settings can reveal expired or forgotten integrations. Revoking permissions for unused services tightens privacy controls, experts said.
Upgrading from traditional passwords to passkeys represents a stronger authentication standard, Thunberg said. Passkeys generate a two-part code that requires biometric or PIN verification to complete a login, making them resistant to interception, Thunberg said. Major platforms including Google, Amazon, Facebook, and eBay support the standard. “They cannot be faked, intercepted or replicated by AI-based attacks,” Thunberg said.
Users who have not adopted passkeys should still employ a password manager to maintain distinct, complex credentials for every account, the guidance said. Password managers generate and store unique logins, preventing a breach at one service from compromising others. “A password manager not only generates strong, unique passwords for each account, but also ensures users never have to remember them all,” Thunberg said.