What’s your Digital Resolution? 

2023 is here! We are excited to share some great digital resolution ideas to help you ring in the new year.

This January, many of us are reflecting on 2022 and setting new goals for 2023. However, sometimes it is hard to think of actionable resolutions for the new year.

Last year, we asked you to tell us how you planned to be a better Digital Citizen in the new year. Check out these four trends we saw in the responses to jumpstart your brainstorming:

1. Move data away from Big Tech services

“[My New Year’s resolution is to] completely stop using Gmail and leverage aliases & masked emails going forward. Paid 3 years upfront already. Going all in.” – @hodlchan, Data Analyst

Email is an important part of most of our daily lives. Even though Gmail seems to provide you with a free email service, it actually comes with a price—your privacy. Many people told us about their plans to completely degooglify themselves to protect their personal information and this is why they moved to Fastmail.

Taking little steps like moving from using Google Search to a privacy-focused search engine like DuckDuckGo or trading out Google Chrome for an alternate browser such as Brave or Vivaldi can go a long way.

See how Fastmail compares to Gmail and find out all the benefits you get: it’s not just privacy.

2. Start using a password manager

“My Digital Resolution is to…ensure my family members use a password manager.” –Armin

The new year is often synonymous with trying new things or ending old habits, which can mean signing up for new accounts and services.

It is important to use a strong, new password for every new account you set up. The best ones are random strings of letters, numbers, words, and/or symbols.

We spend so much time online that many of us have hundreds of different impossible-to-memorize logins. This is where a password manager comes into play.

1. 1Password is a secure, scalable, and easy-to-use password manager that’s trusted by the world’s leading companies. 1Password helps you generate and store unique, strong passwords for every account.
2. With a transparent, open-source approach to password management, Bitwarden makes it easy for users to extend robust security practices to all of their online experiences—wherever they go and whatever device they use. Cloud and self-hosted options give customers the flexibility to meet the most stringent security requirements.

We partner with 1Password and Bitwarden. It is important to choose a Password manager with good security practices that you can trust to keep your data safe.

3. Use Masked Emails

“My Digital Resolution is to close/delete any unused accounts and use masked email addresses when signing up for anything new to improve my privacy and security” – Dan Hughes

“I’ve started the slow process of decommissioning my google accounts since signing up with FM while also switching to masked emails to help protect my digital identity” – Brent Serdiuk

With your password protected by a strong password manager, usernames are the other half of the combination that keep your online accounts safe.

Masked Email allows customers to generate a unique email address, hiding users’ actual email addresses from the app or service they’re registering with or signing into. Masked Email aliases protect your main account, making them ideal for temporary use cases such as registering for a free WiFi network or signing up for email newsletters.

Explore additional information about our Masked Email partnerships with 1Password and Bitwarden.

4. Educate your friends and family about good digital citizenship practices

“It was an easy process to switch from Gmail to Fastmail. I switched for privacy reasons. I’ll be convincing others to be conscious of their online privacy and security, Fastmail will most certainly be on the list of recommendations.” – Matthew Murray, Senior application development analyst at Accenture

Sometimes, the best digital resolutions are not just about creating habits for yourself. They are often also about helping others create positive habits as well.

This new year, take the time to have conversations with friends, family and colleagues about privacy, security and why they’re important.

To learn more about teaching others about digital privacy, check out our podcast episode with Digital Rights Activist, Lucie Krahulcova.

Start the new year off the right way, and signup for Fastmail today.

Fastmail wishes you a private, secure, happy, and healthy 2023!