Comments for What happens when I die?

Comment from David Burlakoff on 2008-09-16

2008-09-16T14:47:27Z

Reading your current newsletter I came accross REXFORDS solution to "WHEN I DIE".
His methods are the same that I use with my trusted heirs, with 1 additional step. Every week I send an encrypted e-mail that includes any NEW or updated accounts with the passwords for them, that I have started so that they are ALWAYS up to date on what & where my accounts are.

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Comment from Glenn P. on 2008-09-13

2008-09-14T04:17:57Z

Three words: "Safe Deposit Box".

Keep an envelope containing a list of your major passwords (no need to disclose them ALL, only the ones your loved ones are likely to need!) in your Safe Deposit Box. Safe Deposit Boxes ONLY become accessible to someone else after you're dead, so by definition there is no risk of premature access by anyone else.

Yes, of course, there are problems. There always are! First, there is a yearly rental fee, typically around $30.00 or so; this isn't much but it may be a nuisance. Then, you need to update the secured information regularly, which usually means a special trip to the bank (another nuisance); and for your loved ones, there will almost certainly be a significant delay before access to the Box can be obtained. Still, it's a good sight better than no plan at all, and for many (perhaps even most) purposes it may well suffice.

Hope this helps!

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Comment from Cynic on 2008-09-10

2008-09-10T11:00:25Z

IMHO, like Leo says, every solution ultimately depends on trusting someone. A friend's wife walked out on him and filed for divorce. But before moving out on my clueless friend, she cleaned out their joint bank account to the extent that my friend had to depend on his family for even day-to-day support. And she was "the" loved one. Who can you "really" trust in today's world?

Banks or established Law Firms are neutral safe places. The account and safe deposit box can have a nomination facility whereby the nominated person has to produce a death certificate or a living trust assignment to access the account/box without a lengthy legal proceedings.

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Comment from Carl R. Goodwin on 2008-09-09

2008-09-10T02:45:13Z

I have often thought about this scenario (dying). My user files are stored on an external hard-drive, so it is accessible on ANY machine (family pics and stuff) - all one would have to do is remove it (it's USB), and plug it into a different computer. My main hard-drive just contains Windows and programs - all one has to do is insert the recovery disk and format the hard-drive. As it stands right now, nobody can access my external hard-drive until I actually get past the sign-on screen for Windows, so I guess it is SOMEWHAT safe, and yet easily accessible if I die. If somebody is going to steal my machine, a password will likely not stop them anyway. One advantage to this is in the case of fire - I can safe important files/pics/data just by yanking out the USB cable - the machine can stay where it is. Another advantage of this is that the main drive doesn't get as fragmented.

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Comment from Mobius Tripp on 2008-09-09

2008-09-09T20:57:07Z

I have an almost identical arrangement to Leo's. Except my passphrases are all contained in RoboForm (so one master passphrase can access all the others). That master password is in a sealed envelope in a secret place in my house - and my family know where that place is.

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Comment from Vikram on 2008-09-09

2008-09-09T18:58:07Z

Well, sooner or later we'll be able to read a dead (person's) memory and recover data much like pulling out a hard disk from a dead system and plugging it into a new system or using disk recovery tools.

In the popular media we already see that scientists can tell which part of our brain is responding ( and hence the general nature of response) to a question. This is something like that Tom Cruise movie where he is being chased for a crime he is GOING to commit in the future.

I have no doubt that defence and spook agencies are already working on this. Imagine being able to interrogate a terrorist caught dead !

Regards

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Comment from Amin Gilani on 2008-09-09

2008-09-09T17:25:04Z

I've given out my passwords to everyone i trust..
.
plus.. there's text a file straight in my open hard disk that contains all the passwords and stuff required to open my accounts..
.
sensitive data that i don't want ANYONE else knowing will be lost with the password that's in my head =P

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Comment from David Jellyman on 2008-09-09

2008-09-09T16:09:21Z

How about one of the Password key systems that hold all your passwords on a USB memory stick. You would have to give that passowrd to your trusted people but it would not be of use until they were able to get your USB key?

Interesting, but a couple of assumptions I don't like: to keep it up to date you would have to keep it with you and use it regularly. So there's a likelihood that it might disappear when you do, depending on exactly what happened to you. :-) Also, flash memory wears out. Better than some, worst than others, but I'd be reluctant to put something this critical on it with the assumption I could use it daily and it would still be a sole repository or "long term storage" for my heirs.

-Leo

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Comment from Sad on 2008-09-09

2008-09-09T15:12:58Z

To brand that stuf on a CD sounds good. But to put that CD in the system and hope then that the system will be brought to a professional and than hope too that that professional will do the right things, is too much. I would not count on that. I would put that CD on a safe place and give instructions to the person(s) who would otherwise take care in these situations.

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Comment from Michael on 2008-09-09

2008-09-09T15:03:17Z

Chris' idea has one flaw that makes me very uncomfortable. If the computer was ever stolen, it would contains not only all the data, but also the passwords to access it.
I suppose, that it might be acceptable for someone who was extremely sure of the physical security of the computer.

One option for those who want a secure setup like Leo uses, but don't want to share the password with anyone until they are gone (or at least incapacitated) is to setup an automated email that would be sent in such a case. A simple (free) way would be to setup a calendar reminder with email notification on Yahoo (or one of the other free email services with a calendar) to send the password required to get into your stuff to the person you designate. You would then have to periodically reschedule this event before it went out. If you became unavailable to reset, the email would be sent. This scenario has the advantage that you do not have to update anyone with your password changes, but would probably require another (calendar/email) reminder to reset the "dead-man-switch". There would also be a delay before your email went out corresponding to how often you wanted to perform the reset maintenance.

I suppose you'd have to be quite paranoid to go to this much effort... Well, time to go reset my switch.

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Comment from Denis on 2008-09-09

2008-09-09T15:00:11Z

Interesting question. I have often been thinking about this and there is no easy answer. But I think the solution has to be simple. You can tell someone where and how to get your passwords, but that person will also have to have some sort of "mnemonics system" of their own. It is easy after one week, one month, but not after years.

Also, even if we give someone's a list today, this list will become quickly obsolete and we might not remember to update it. This is the same thing with wills; we do it and forget about updating it; we think this is good forever.

The only way to do it, if we have a partner in life, is to involve that person with our choice of passwords. If we are alone, hum..., not sure what would be good.

We have to hope that some genius will solve that problem in the future, but I am rather skeptical about this.

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Comment from John Newman on 2008-09-09

2008-09-09T14:57:08Z

I think that this article and the comments from those who read it were very informative. I never considered how my family might get access to my digital stuff once I die. It never came up when my mom and grandparents passed away but they didn't live on the computer like our generation does.

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Comment from novice on 2008-09-09

2008-09-09T13:31:01Z

Keeping that password etc stuff in a locker with your bank is another option. A person's legal heirs would get access to it after that person's death.

Banks can be always trusted and they are more organized than an average person who may lose the stuff or accidently expose it to unwanted persons. But rest assured recovery would take a few days unless it's a joint locker.

If the information retrieval is needed to be faster, Leo's approach is pretty safe.

Also known as "safety deposit boxes", they are also a good solution, though there are limitations. The mere act of putting or updating something in it can be enough of a barrier that it's not always as up to date as you might want it. Also, as you allude to, the contents of the box may not always be immediately available to the heirs. Even worse, if it's not a death but an incapacitation situation the contents may not be available at all, or at least not without even lengthier legal proceedings.

And then there are people like me who don't even have a safety deposit box any more. :-)

-Leo

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Comment from Chris on 2008-09-08

2008-09-09T05:52:20Z

I'd burn a CD (it will last longer than a piece of paper) with a couple text files and tape it to the bottom-inside of my system. If someone really wanted the data on my boxes in the case of my death, most likely they would try and bring it to a professional who might open the case and see it.

The text files would include all my passwords (system/emails/school account), a request file of what I would like people to do with my stuff when I'm gone, and a file detailing paths to all 3 of my system backups saved on a sep drive on my main box (if they get axx to that 1 system, they get everything from all my systems).

How's that for an idea?

It's good, but I have two issues with it: 1) I'm not convinced a CD will last longer than paper. (Let's face it, we've got multiple-hundred year old paper documents lying around, and my 20-year old music CDs are starting to show bad-bits), and 2) if someone ever steals your computer and happens to look inside (perhaps as they prepare to part it out), they instantly get the keys to your kingdom.

-Leo

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