• William T. Bridge, an IT Support Specialist based in Sacramento, California, is urging individuals to adopt a simple three-part standard for safer accounts, devices, and data at home and at work.

California, US, 3rd February 2026, ZEX PR WIRE, William T. Bridge, an IT support specialist known for his calm, systems based approach to user support, announced a new personal standard today designed for everyday people who want fewer tech crises and safer online lives.

His “3-Point Personal Security Standard” focuses on three basics most people skip until something goes wrong:

1. Strong, unique passwords managed in a password manager

2. Multifactor authentication on all key accounts

3. At least one automatic backup for important files

Bridge developed the standard after years of watching the same preventable problems repeat across small businesses, clinics, nonprofits, and home networks. In his experience, simple habits often make the difference between a minor issue and a major disruption.

“In my day to day work, the worst incidents almost always start with the basics being ignored,” Bridge said. “A single reused password or one laptop with no backup can turn a small mistake into a week of stress.”

Research highlights how costly those basic gaps can be:

• 65 percent of people reuse passwords across multiple accounts.

• An estimated 81 percent of hacking related breaches involve weak or stolen passwords.

• Nearly 1 in 3 users have lost important files because they had no backup.

• Small organizations hit by serious data loss sometimes shut down within months because recovery costs and downtime are too high.

“Most people think serious security problems only happen to big companies,” Bridge noted. “But I have seen families lose years of photos and small teams lose key documents because one hard drive failed or one mailbox got compromised.”

Bridge’s standard is built for regular users, not specialists. It focuses on a few clear moves that can be set up once and then maintained with small, regular check ins.

“When I help seniors at a community tech clinic or mentor high school students, I repeat the same message,” he explained. “If you protect your main accounts, turn on multifactor, and back up your files, you remove a big chunk of the risk from your life.”

The 3-Point Personal Security Standard

1. Use a password manager

   • Store all logins in one secure app.

   • Make passwords long and unique for each site.

2. Turn on multifactor authentication (MFA)

   • Start with email, banking, cloud storage, and social media.

   • Use an authenticator app whenever possible.

3. Set up automatic backups

   • Turn on cloud or external drive backups for documents and photos.

   • Check once a month that backups are running and restorable.

“People do not need to understand every technical detail,” Bridge said. “They just need a small personal standard that they follow every time they create an account or save something that matters.”

30-Day Implementation Plan

Week 1: Map and Prioritize

• List your top 10 accounts that would hurt most if lost or hacked.
  Examples: email, banking, payroll, tax, social media, cloud storage.

• Write down where your important files and photos live now.

• Decide which password manager you will use.

• Install the password manager on your phone and main computer.

Week 2: Lock Down Critical Accounts

• Move the passwords for your top 10 accounts into the password manager.

• Change each one to a long, unique password generated by the manager.

• Turn on multifactor authentication for each of those 10 accounts.

• Test MFA from both your phone and your main computer.

Week 3: Set Up Backups

• Choose a backup method: cloud backup service or external drive.

• Turn on automatic backup for your main computer.

• Make sure documents, photos, and important work folders are included.

• Run a test restore of one file to confirm it works.

Week 4: Extend and Review

• Add 20 more logins into your password manager as you use them.

• Turn on multifactor for any remaining high value accounts.

• Create one short page of notes that explains your standard in plain language.

• Share the standard with one friend, family member, or colleague and help them complete Week 1.

One-Page Personal Checklist

Accounts and Passwords

• I use a password manager on my phone and main computer.

• My email accounts use long, unique passwords.

• My banking and financial accounts use long, unique passwords.

• I do not reuse passwords between important accounts.

Multifactor Authentication

• MFA is turned on for my main email.

• MFA is turned on for my banking and financial accounts.

• MFA is turned on for my main cloud storage service.

• I use an authenticator app whenever a service supports it.

Backups

• My main computer has automatic backups enabled.

• My important documents are included in the backup.

• My photos and personal media are included in the backup.

• I have tested restoring at least one file from backup.

Review Habit

• I have a reminder once a month to review this checklist.

• I update any accounts that still use old or reused passwords.

• I confirm that recent backups completed successfully.

“Anyone can adopt this standard in small steps,” Bridge concluded. “You do not need to become an expert. You just need to treat these basics as non negotiable, the same way you lock your front door at night.”

Bridge encourages individuals, families, and small teams to adopt the 3-Point Personal Security Standard over the next 30 days and to share the one-page checklist with at least one other person.

About William T. Bridge

William T. Bridge is an IT support specialist based in Sacramento, California. He has worked in managed services, healthcare, and nonprofit environments, with a focus on endpoint support, secure remote access, and practical documentation. He volunteers at community tech clinics, mentors high school students in basic networking and scripting, and promotes simple, repeatable habits that make everyday technology safer and more reliable.