# 7.1 Maintenance Checklists

### Monthly Checklist

Time Required: ~30 minutes

**Backups**

- Verify your computer backup completed successfully (check last backup date)
- Verify your phone backup completed successfully
- Check backup drive has sufficient free space
- For cloud backups, verify storage isn't full
- Check password manager is syncing properly across devices

**Network Security**

- Review devices connected to your home WiFi
- Remove any unknown or unauthorized devices
    
    
    - Disconnect them and reset your WiFi password
    - Do this at a time when convenient to reconnect all other devices on your network
- Check router firmware is up to date

**Software & Updates**

- Verify automatic updates are still enabled on all devices
- Check for pending updates and install if needed

### Quarterly Checklist

Time Required: ~1-2 hours

**Account Security Review**

- Review authorized devices on critical accounts (email, banking, cloud storage)
- Remove old/unrecognized devices from authorized lists
- Check recent login activity on important accounts
- Verify recovery email addresses and phone numbers are current
- Check [<u>https://haveibeenpwned.com</u>](https://haveibeenpwned.com/ "https://haveibeenpwned.com") to see if any of your accounts have been compromised

**Device Maintenance**

- Review installed applications on computers and mobile devices
    
    
    - Remove apps you no longer use or recognize
- Review app permissions on computers and mobile devices
- - Revoke permissions from apps that don't need them
- Check privacy settings haven't been reset by updates (Windows, Mac, phone)
- Run full antivirus scan on computers
- Review third-party app access to Google/Microsoft/Apple accounts
- Review browser extensions and remove unused ones
- Review startup programs on computers, disable unnecessary ones
- Check for firmware updates on smart home devices

### Annual Checklist

Time Required: ~2-3 hours (can be spread across multiple sessions)

**Comprehensive Account Audit**

- Delete online accounts you no longer use (through their website before you delete the password from your password manager)
- Use the password manager’s tools to check for reused passwords and update them
- Review recovery options and updated as needed

**Backup &amp; Recovery Testing**

- Perform a test restore of at least one important file from backup
- Test "Find My Device" on all phones and laptops
- Review and update your emergency contact list
- Update digital legacy planning (who gets access if something happens to you)
- Review external backup drives, consider replacing if 3-5+ years old

**Privacy Review**

- Review and adjust privacy settings across all cloud platform accounts
- Review smart device voice history and delete (Alexa, Google Home)
- Opt out of data broker sites (or renew opt-outs)