Slashdot Mirror
Ask Slashdot: How Do You Securely Store Private Information For Posterity?
An anonymous reader writes "In the event of my untimely demise, my wife and family will need access to all of my private data (email, phone, laptop password, SSN, etc) and financial accounts and passwords (banks, 401(k), mortgage, insurance, etc). What's the best way to securely store all that data knowing the data is somewhat volatile (e.g. password changes) and also that someone else who is not technically savvy will need to access the most up to date version of it? Suggestions include a printed copy in a safe deposit box, an encrypted file, a secure server in the cloud, or maybe a commercial product."
Not even a year ago, almost the same thing.
http://ask.slashdot.org/story/11/11/01/1414234/ask-slashdot-how-to-securely-share-passwords
Let me expand that a bit.
If your family absolutely needs the information MAKE SURE IT IS IN A PHYSICAL FORMAT and stored in a secure location.
Electronic formats are not reliable enough for critical information. Particularly if your family members are not sufficiently tech savvy.
um... no. cloud vendors can disappear without notice in which case you're out of luck. lastpass was hacked last year so that isn't the safest choice either. see http://lifehacker.com/5799036/the-best-password-utilities-that-dont-store-your-data-in-the-cloud so this is a real problem. the fact that you;re thinking about this means you're planning which is like better than probably 80% of people out there. so what i would do is come up with something that works for you and have your spouse/next of kin actually try to follow the agreed procedure without you around and have them report back on problem areas. a lot of businesses have disaster recovery plans which they try to play out once or twice a year. trying it definitely finds some problem areas.
Hm, can you name for me all the famous nihilists who did something other than be raving, depressed nihilists?
Does it matter?
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
My wife passed this year. And in reality, its not this simple. The first issue here is that dealing with court orders is the last thing you want to be doing. Your head is a mess. A real big mess. The question here is a great one. How do you make it easy, is the point. What you suggest sounds easy. But in practice, I promise, it's not.
And its not just legal documents you want access to. It's a friend's email address, or a recipe for her favourite cake. Even if you can get a court order to do this, would you?
This is a digital problem with a complex human coating. I want to hear the solution to the question asked, as asked. I don't have the answer.
Because you can - or because you should?
Safety deposit box is probably the only reasonable solution.
Access can be an issue. Ensure that your spouse (or someone else you trust) is listed with the bank for the safe deposit box (not just the associated bank accounts). If not, no one - and I mean NO ONE - will have access to the box contents without either a court order or until after probate of your will and new ownership of the box is established. And no, Power of Attorney won't work as that expires when you die.
It should be obvious from the above that your Will should not be stored in a safe deposit box - especially one registered in only your name, or you and your spouse (if you die together, no access to your Wills). A better place for your Will is a home safe, your lawyer or accountant.
IANAL, but did have to work through all this when my wife died in 2006....
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .