January 12, 2026
Right now, millions are embracing Dry January, choosing to ditch alcohol to boost their health, productivity, and stop delaying positive change.
Your business has a comparable "Dry January" list — but instead of drinks, it's made up of harmful tech habits.
These are the common, risky practices everyone knows they should avoid, yet continue out of convenience or busyness.
Until those habits cause real damage.
Here are six damaging tech routines to quit immediately — and what you should adopt to safeguard your business instead.
Habit #1: Postponing Important Software Updates
Clicking "Remind Me Later" on updates might seem harmless, but it's one of the biggest threats to small businesses.
While updates may interrupt your day, they're critical for patching security vulnerabilities hackers are actively exploiting.
Delays turn into weeks and months, leaving your software exposed and your business vulnerable.
For example, the WannaCry ransomware attack devastated thousands worldwide by exploiting a flaw already patched by Microsoft months earlier — yet countless victims ignored update prompts.
The impact? Billions lost across over 150 countries as operations halted.
Stop delaying: Arrange update installations for the end of the workday or have your IT team apply them silently in the background. This prevents crashes and keeps cybercriminals at bay.
Habit #2: Using One Password for Everything
Relying on a single password for all your accounts feels simple and "strong enough," but puts your entire business at grave risk.
Data breaches happen often. If even one site leaks your credentials, hackers gain access to all your accounts by trying the same combination elsewhere.
This method, called credential stuffing, is behind a majority of account hacks.
Change your approach: Invest in a reputable password manager like LastPass, 1Password, or Bitwarden. You only need to remember one master password while unique, complex passwords protect each service — making your security effortless and reliable.
Habit #3: Sharing Passwords via Email or Messaging Apps
Quickly sending login details through Slack, text, or email seems easy, but those messages linger forever—stored in inboxes, backups, and cloud archives.
If anyone's account is compromised, attackers can search for keywords like "password" to steal every shared credential.
This is as risky as mailing your house keys in a postcard.
Secure sharing: Use password managers' built-in secure sharing features that let recipients access credentials without seeing the actual passwords. You can revoke access anytime, eliminating permanent exposure. If manual sharing is unavoidable, split the info across multiple channels and change passwords immediately afterward.
Habit #4: Granting All Admin Rights for Convenience
Making everyone an admin because it's faster creates a dangerous environment where critical controls are easily misused or compromised.
Admins can install software, disable protection tools, alter settings, or delete key data. If their login is stolen, attackers get carte blanche.
Ransomware especially thrives with widespread admin privileges, causing more damage much faster.
Put limits in place: Follow the principle of least privilege. Assign users only the access they absolutely need. Though setup requires a bit more time, it drastically reduces risks and protects against accidental or malicious incidents.
Habit #5: Leaving Temporary Workarounds in Place Permanently
"We'll fix this properly later" often turns into years later.
Temporary fixes become ingrained procedures that slow tasks and rely on specific conditions or insider knowledge.
When changes inevitably occur, these stopgap solutions fail, causing confusion and costly downtime.
Address the root cause: Identify all temporary workarounds your team currently relies on. Instead of struggling alone, partner with experts who can implement permanent, streamlined solutions — saving you frustration and boosting efficiency.
Habit #6: Running Your Business on a Fragile Spreadsheet
That complex Excel file with multiple tabs and formulas controlled by a handful of people poses a huge risk to your operations.
If it corrupts or its key maintainer leaves, chaos could follow. Spreadsheets lack proper backups, audit trails, and scalability, making them ill-suited as core business systems.
Upgrade your systems: Document the processes behind your spreadsheet, then migrate to specialized tools built for the job — CRMs for clients, inventory software for stock, scheduling apps for appointments. These platforms offer secure backups, change logs, and user permissions designed to protect and grow your company.
Why Breaking These Habits is Challenging
You already recognize these habits are harmful. The real challenge is overcoming busyness and invisibility of consequences.
- Risks stay hidden until a major breach or failure strikes suddenly.
- Proper solutions feel slower upfront compared to quick fixes, though the long-term cost is far greater.
- When everyone else uses unsafe methods, bad practices feel normal and unchecked.
This mirrors why Dry January succeeds — it forces you to confront unconscious habits and make positive changes.
How to Successfully Quit These Tech Habits Without Willpower Alone
Change your environment to make good habits the default — that's key.
- Implement company-wide password managers to block insecure sharing.
- Automate software updates to eliminate postponing.
- Manage user permissions centrally, avoiding careless admin assignments.
- Replace fragile workarounds with robust systems backed by expert support.
- Transition critical data from spreadsheets to specialized, secure platforms.
When the right choice is also the simplest, your business becomes safer, faster, and more resilient.
That's the difference a skilled IT partner makes — they transform your infrastructure so smart habits become effortless.
Ready to Leave Dangerous Tech Habits Behind and Propel Your Business Forward?
Schedule a Bad Habit Audit today.
In just 15 minutes, we'll explore your business's unique challenges and provide a clear action plan to resolve them — no jargon, no judgment — just a safer, more efficient path to 2026 success.
Click here or give us a call at 419-678-2083 to book your 10-Minute Discovery Call.
Quit bad habits cold turkey — because your business deserves a fresh start this January.
