January 12, 2026
Right now, millions are embracing Dry January—a powerful reset by cutting out alcohol to boost wellness, productivity, and ditch procrastination.
Your business also carries its own Dry January list—except instead of drinks, it's filled with tech habits that silently drag down performance.
We all recognize these risky shortcuts. Yet, we cling to them because 2its easier2 or 2were too swamped2
Until suddenly, it's not.
Here are six damaging tech habits to stop immediately, and the smarter alternatives to embrace.
Habit #1: Postponing Software Updates with "Remind Me Later"
Pressing that button might feel convenient, but it's far more dangerous to your business than most cyber threats.
Updates do more than add new features—they patch vulnerabilities hackers actively exploit.
Delay updates for days, then weeks, then months, and youre left exposed to known risks criminals already have the keys to.
The WannaCry ransomware attack paralyzed thousands of firms globally by exploiting a flaw patched months earlier—flaws victims ignored by clicking remind me later repeatedly.
The fallout? Billions lost as business operations ground to a halt across 150+ countries.
Stop this now: Schedule updates for low-traffic hours or trust your IT team to install them silently behind the scenes. No interruptions. No vulnerabilities left open.
Habit #2: Reusing One Password for Everything
Many rely on a single "strong" password that feels easy to remember.
But with frequent data breaches, that password—used for email, banking, shopping, and more—is likely compromised, sold, and exploited by hackers testing access across platforms.
This credential reuse tactic, known as credential stuffing, accounts for a large proportion of account takeovers.
Break free: Adopt a reputable password manager like LastPass, 1Password, or Bitwarden. You only remember one master password; the app creates complex, unique passwords for every account—giving you lasting protection with minimal effort.
Habit #3: Sharing Passwords Over Insecure Channels Like Email or Text
Sharing login details casually via Slack, email, or text may seem like a 30-second fix.
But those messages remain stored indefinitely—in inboxes, backups, and cloud archives—exposing your business if any account is ever hacked.
It's akin to mailing your house keys on a postcard.
Quit this risky habit: Use password managers that securely share credentials without exposing actual passwords, protect access with revocation options, and eliminate permanent records vulnerable to breaches. If manual sharing is unavoidable, divide credentials across different channels and change passwords promptly.
Habit #4: Granting Everyone Admin Rights for Convenience
Instead of properly configuring permissions, sometimes everyone gets admin access to speed things up.
But admin rights allow installing software, disabling security, changing critical settings, or deleting essential files—damage that escalates drastically if credentials fall into the wrong hands.
Ransomware attackers particularly target admin accounts to maximize destruction swiftly.
End this practice: Apply the principle of least privilege—only give users the minimum access they need. This small setup investment protects you from costly security breaches and accidental data loss.
Habit #5: Leaving "Temporary" Fixes to Become Permanent
A quick workaround may have saved the day once, but years later, it often becomes the default process.
Even if it involves extra steps or employee tricks, the mindset is often, "Why fix what seems to work?"
This approach silently drains productivity and builds fragile systems dependent on specific people or setups—until a change causes collapse and confusion.
Take action: List all workarounds your team relies on and share it with us. Rather than struggle alone, let our experts implement reliable solutions that eliminate complexity and boost your team's effectiveness.
Habit #6: Relying on a Single Overcomplicated Spreadsheet to Run Your Business
We all know the dreaded spreadsheet with endless tabs and cryptic formulas, understood by only a handful—the creator often long gone.
If that file crashes or the key user leaves, your business is left vulnerable with no backup plan.
Spreadsheets lack audit trails, proper backups, and scalable integration—making them fragile platforms for critical operations.
Break this dependency: Document the business functions your spreadsheet supports, then transition to specialized tools like CRM for customer management, inventory software, or scheduling apps. These platforms offer security, access control, and continuity your business deserves.
Why These Harmful Habits Persist
You're not uninformed—it's just that busyness makes shortcuts feel like the only option.
- Negative consequences stay hidden until disaster strikes suddenly.
- The right solutions seem slower upfront, but save huge costs long-term.
- When the whole team does the same risky practices, bad habits feel normal and invisible.
This insight explains why Dry January works: it interrupts autopilot behaviors by making hidden patterns visible.
How to Quit Your Tech Bad Habits Without Relying on Willpower
Success isn't about willpower—it's about reshaping your environment to make safe and smart choices effortless.
Businesses breaking bad tech habits deploy company-wide password managers, automate updates, centrally control permissions, replace workarounds with lasting fixes, and switch critical tasks from risky spreadsheets to reliable systems.
By redesigning your tech landscape, the right actions become default—and the bad habits fade away.
This transformation is exactly what a proactive IT partner delivers—not lectures, but system changes that simplify security and productivity.
Ready to Stop the Quiet Tech Habits Undermining Your Business?
Schedule a Bad Habit Audit with us. In just 15 minutes, well explore your business challenges and provide a clear plan to permanently resolve them.
No jargon. No judgment. Just a path to a safer, faster, and more profitable 2026.
Click here or give us a call at 817-277-1001 to book your 15-Minute Discovery Call.
Some habits are worth quitting cold turkey—there's no better moment than January to start.
