The start of a new year often prompts a closer look at habits that aren’t helping anymore. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s fewer disruptions, less friction, and addressing issues that tend to get ignored when everyone’s busy and nothing has fully broken yet.
Businesses have their own version of a reset. It usually shows up as technology habits everyone knows aren’t ideal but still get a pass because they feel manageable. Until they aren’t.
Here are six common tech habits worth leaving behind, and what to replace them with instead.
Habit 1: Delaying Software Updates
Putting off updates is easy, especially when a restart feels disruptive in the middle of the day. The issue is that many updates aren’t about new features, but security fixes for vulnerabilities that are already known and actively exploited.
Small delays add up quickly. A few days turn into weeks, and systems end up running with gaps that already have solutions available. Incidents like the WannaCry ransomware attack spread so quickly because patches had been released but not applied.
A more reliable approach is to schedule updates outside of business hours or have an IT partner manage them quietly in the background, so systems stay protected without interrupting the workday.
Habit 2: Reusing the Same Password Across Systems
Many people rely on a single password that feels strong and easy to remember, and over time it gets reused across email, financial accounts, internal tools, and third-party platforms.
The problem isn’t password strength, it’s reuse. Data breaches are common, and credentials exposed in one system are often tested everywhere else through a technique known as credential stuffing. One compromised site can quickly turn into access across multiple systems.
Password managers solve this without adding complexity. They generate and store unique passwords for each system, so a single breach doesn’t cascade into a larger issue, and users only need to remember one master password.
Habit 3: Sharing Passwords Through Email or Text
Sharing login information through email, text, or chat feels quick and efficient, but it creates permanent records that are searchable, backed up, and difficult to fully remove.
If an inbox is ever compromised, shared credentials are often easy to find, turning a short-term convenience into long-term risk. What feels harmless in the moment can quietly expand your attack surface.
Using a password manager’s secure sharing feature avoids this problem by granting access without exposing the password itself and allowing access to be revoked at any time. When manual sharing can’t be avoided, passwords should be changed immediately afterward.
Habit 4: Giving Employees Full Admin Access
Admin access is often granted to solve a short-term need. Someone needs to install software or change a setting, and it feels faster to give full permissions than to configure access properly.
Over time, this creates unnecessary risk. Admin accounts can disable security tools, modify system settings, and delete critical data, and if one of those accounts is compromised, the impact is far greater.
Following the principle of least privilege limits access to only what each person needs to do their job. While it takes a bit more setup, it significantly reduces the risk of both accidental damage and security incidents.
Habit 5: Temporary Fixes That Became Permanent
Most workarounds start with good intentions. Something breaks, a quick fix gets work moving again, and the proper solution gets postponed.
Months or years later, that workaround becomes standard practice. It adds extra steps, depends on specific people remembering how it works, and creates fragile processes that break when systems, software, or staffing changes.
The first step is identifying these workarounds so they’re no longer invisible. Once documented, they can be replaced with stable, well-supported solutions that save time and reduce frustration.
Habit 6: Running Critical Operations in Spreadsheets
Spreadsheets are valuable tools, but they’re risky platforms for critical business operations. Many organizations rely on a single file with complex formulas and minimal documentation, often understood by only one or two people.
If that file becomes corrupted or that knowledge leaves the business, the impact can be significant. Spreadsheets lack strong audit trails, access controls, and consistent backup practices.
Documenting the process the spreadsheet supports is the starting point. From there, purpose-built systems such as CRMs, inventory platforms, or scheduling tools offer better security, visibility, and long-term stability.
Why These Habits Persist
Most businesses already know these habits aren’t ideal. The challenge isn’t awareness, it’s time, capacity, and competing priorities.
The consequences stay invisible until they’re serious. The right approach often feels slower in the moment, and when everyone operates the same way, risk becomes normalized.
How Businesses Actually Break These Patterns
Lasting change doesn’t come from willpower. It comes from better systems.
When updates are automated, delays disappear. When password managers are implemented, insecure sharing fades out. When permissions are managed centrally, shortcuts lose their appeal. When workarounds are replaced, daily friction drops.
That’s the value of a good IT partner. Not lectures or pressure, but structure that makes the right behavior the default.
A Better Way Forward
Improving your technology doesn’t require a massive overhaul or a long list of projects. It starts with understanding where risk and inefficiency are hiding and addressing them in a practical, sustainable way.
Schedule a free consultation call today.
