January 12, 2026
Right now, millions are embracing Dry January by giving up alcohol.
They're cutting out what they know harms them, aiming to boost their health, sharpen focus, and stop the endless cycle of "I'll start Monday."
Your business has its own version of Dry January—made up of outdated tech habits instead of drinks.
These habits are familiar. Everyone senses they're risky or slowing things down, yet we keep doing them because "it's fine" or "we're too busy."
Until one day, it's not fine anymore.
Here are six harmful tech habits to break this month—along with smarter alternatives to replace them.
Habit #1: Postponing Software Updates with "Remind Me Later"
This simple click is more damaging to small businesses than many cyberattacks.
We get it—no one wants devices restarting mid-workday. But updates aren't just feature adds; they plug security gaps that hackers are actively exploiting.
"Later" often becomes weeks, then months, leaving your software vulnerable to attacks.
Remember the WannaCry ransomware? It devastated businesses globally by exploiting a security flaw Microsoft had patched two months prior—patches many ignored by clicking "remind me later".
The fallout cost companies billions across 150+ countries as operations halted.
Take action: Schedule updates for after hours, or have your IT team deploy them quietly in the background. No interruptions, no security gaps.
Habit #2: Using One Password Everywhere
You have a go-to password. It meets basic rules, feels strong, and it's easy to recall—so you use it for everything: email, banking, shopping, and random forums.
But data breaches happen all the time. That old forum you forgot about might've leaked your login last year, putting your credentials up for sale to hackers.
Hackers don't need to guess—they try your known password across services, unlocking access through a tactic called credential stuffing.
Fix it now: Employ a password manager like LastPass, 1Password, or Bitwarden. Remember one master password while the tool creates and stores complex, unique passwords for every account, giving you peace of mind in minutes.
Habit #3: Sharing Passwords via Text or Email
Sharing logins over Slack, text, or email happens quickly and seems convenient.
But those messages remain forever—in sent folders, inboxes, cloud backups—ready for anyone breaching an email account to find and misuse.
This is like writing down your house key and mailing it to a stranger.
Change this: Use password managers' secure sharing features, so recipients can access accounts without seeing passwords, with sharing that's revocable anytime. If manual sharing is unavoidable, split credentials across channels and immediately change passwords afterward.
Habit #4: Granting Everyone Admin Rights for Convenience
When someone needed access or to install software, it was easier to make them an admin than configure specific permissions.
Now, many on your team have admin access—letting them control software, security, settings, and data. If their account is compromised, attackers gain these powers too.
More admin rights = more risk and bigger damage, especially from ransomware.
Do this instead: Follow the principle of least privilege. Assign roles with strictly the access needed to work—nothing extra. It may take extra minutes to set up but prevents costly breaches and accidental data loss.
Habit #5: Letting Temporary Workarounds Become Permanent
A problem arose. You found a "quick fix" and promised to address it later.
Years later, that workaround is your team's daily reality.
It adds extra steps, complexity, and depends on specific people or conditions. When things inevitably change, the system breaks down and no one recalls the proper fix.
Stop now: List all workarounds your team relies on. Don't try to solve them solo; instead, let our experts develop lasting solutions to streamline workflows, boost productivity, and eliminate team frustration.
Habit #6: Running Your Business on a Single Complex Spreadsheet
You know the infamous Excel file with a dozen tabs and a tangled formula maze only a few understand—one who's no longer with the company.
If corrupted or lost, do you have a backup plan? Will anyone else be able to maintain it?
This spreadsheet is a risky single point of failure, dressed up as your core system.
Spreadsheets lack audit logs, don't scale well, don't integrate with other software, and are rarely backed up properly. They're band-aids, not foundations.
Make the switch: Document the business processes your spreadsheet supports, then migrate to specialized tools—CRM for clients, inventory management software for stock, scheduling apps for appointments. These offer backups, permissions, audits, and don't rely on one person's expertise.
Why Breaking These Habits Is So Challenging
You probably already know these habits are harmful.
The real barrier is busyness.
These bad habits persist because:
- Risks remain hidden until disaster strikes suddenly. Reused passwords seem safe until one breach exposes everything.
- Correct practices often feel slower upfront. Setting up a password manager might take hours vs. typing memorized passwords in seconds, making shortcuts tempting.
- When the whole team does something risky, it feels normal rather than dangerous, masking the risk.
This mirrors why Dry January succeeds for some—it creates awareness, breaks habits, and makes hidden dangers visible.
How to Successfully Break These Habits Without Relying on Willpower
Willpower rarely changes human behavior sustainably. The key is reshaping your environment.
Top-performing businesses don't just try harder—they design systems where the right choices are the easiest choices:
- Deploy company-wide password managers to eliminate insecure credential sharing.
- Automate updates to remove "remind me later" options.
- Manage permissions centrally to prevent unnecessary admin access.
- Replace workarounds with real, scalable solutions that don't rely on tribal knowledge.
- Migrate critical spreadsheet functions to dedicated software with backups and role controls.
The right behavior becomes the easy, default behavior, while bad habits feel cumbersome and inconvenient.
This is what a skilled IT partner delivers—not lectures, but real system improvements that embed security and efficiency into your daily workflow.
Ready to Break the Tech Habits Holding Your Business Back?
Schedule a Bad Habit Audit with us today.
In just 15 minutes, we'll dive into your business challenges and provide a clear, no-pressure roadmap to eliminate these issues for good.
Expect no jargon or judgment—just a path to a safer, faster, and more profitable 2026.
Click here or give us a call at 801-356-9333 to book your 15-Minute Discovery Call.
Some habits are worth quitting cold turkey—and there's no better time than January to start.
