Overview
If you would like to grant access to certain online accounts in order for your next of kin/ digital administrator to access them there are a number of areas to consider.
Passing down your passwords can be a very difficult hurdle to overcome. Furthermore there is not a predefined or 'best practice' set of rules to follow. The more online accounts we have the harder this process becomes. Furthermore we are advised and often forced into changing our passwords by different platforms for security reasons. This can make the maintenance and upkeep of storing our passwords a chore and a hindrance
Passing on your Facebook password
There are a number of ways in which a Facebook account can be passed down. To read our full tutorial click here.
Mother's sorrow at Facebook lockout: http://t.co/ySiY4L3gHy #DigitalLegacy #EOLChat
— DeadSocial (@DeadSocial) April 6, 2015
We will be publishing an in-depth tutorial about what we consider the best solution for 'passing on your passwords' in late May 2015. Until then we are going to provide a few options. Beware: They all have huge flaws in them.
Passing on the password for your computer
Does someone other than yourself know the password for your computer?
Data attained from DeadSocial's Digital Death Survey 2014.
Things to consider
- Use a cloud software solution like Google Drive (formally Google Docs) or Dropbox to keep your passwords in. Assign access to the folder in Google Docs or Dropbox where they are saved. Each time you change your password update the document accordingly.
- Password protect a file or folder on your computer. Once created add your passwords for your various accounts into the folder. Tell your next of kind the password for your computer and the folder. Each time you change your password update the document accordingly.
- Write your passwords down and keep them locked in a family safe / vault (not recommended). Update the document each time one of your passwords changes.
- There are a range of password protection tools that allow for one single login. However these have not really impressed us when we first reviewed them. We will however review these services in full in early December 2014.
- There is also an increasing tendency for service providers (like Facebook and Google) to ask you to change your password for security reasons. Each time you update your password you will need to update the relevant document.
Once you have decided which option(s) may work best for you it is paramount that you Tell Somebody where you passwords are kept or how they able able to attain access to them.
Have you told anyone the password for your mobile phone, computer and/or tablet?