# The digital afterlife

What about the digital traces we leave behind on the internet after we pass away? When your most important accounts are secured with two-factor authentication it is impossible to recover. People who are left behind probably have no clue how to access your most important internet accounts and data of value like family pictures.

My most important account is my private Google account. Where I have stored my contacts and e-mail, and a backup of data of value for me. Because I only use exclusivly Apple products for desktop, laptop and smartphone purposes I also have a secured Apple ID.

An Apple ID has a feature called ["Legacy Contact"](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212360). And Google has a feature called ["Inactive Account Manager"](https://myaccount.google.com/inactive). So your account and data can be recovered with your death certificate or is released after account inactivity.

I'm a little paranoid so for every internet account I create a different password and store it in a Keepass encrypted database. On macOS I use MacPass. On Windows at work I use KeePass XC with Chrome browser plugin.

**The just-in-case box**

You should prepare for the worst and create a small box with printed information like:

* Internet (e-mail) accounts like: Google, Apple, Microsoft
* Most important phone numbers like work, clubs, friends, family etc.
* List of subscriptions with client or contract numbers
* List of contacts to send a death notice to

The box could contain an USB stick FAT32 formatted (synced every year on World Backup Day) for maximum OS compatibility. My USB stick also contains an encrypted Keepass password and account database.

So how are you prepared for the digital afterlife?

## Ideas & word cloud

- A good part of my life is digital
- I'm digital security paranoid and knowledged about problems
- The joys of 2-Factor authentication and why its a bad idea for the people left behind when death strikes
- High-secured digital life, like encrypted password and account database
  - Every account different random strong password
  - Multiple mail accounts 
- Just-in-case physical box concept
  - Printed on paper with date of last update 
  - Passwords/pin codes
  - Most important accounts
  - Most important Phone Numbers
  - URLs
  - Contact list
  - USB stick with most important data (formatted FAT32 for compatibility reasons)
- Google ... feature, account inactivity + recovery
  - https://support.google.com/accounts/troubleshooter/6357590?hl=en
  - [Google's Inactive Account Manager](https://myaccount.google.com/inactive)
- Apple ... feature "AppleID Legacy Contact"