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The Importance of Being Organised With Passwords

  • Post category:General

We have all had the frustration of forgetting a password and having to complete the reset password process, sometimes this is simply an inconvenience whilst other times this is truly a significant undertaking. But what happens when something happens to you?

Following the unexpected and tragic passing of a family member, a GroupSupport client was advised that key information regarding their estate was sitting within an email account. The family had no ability to access the password or reset access to the necessary accounts.

There are three simple and effective steps that can be taken to ensure that your passwords and critical information is secure (and accessible) in the event of an unforeseen event.  These steps also provide ongoing protection and useful features to use on a day to day basis as well.

But first, some things not to do

  1. Do not keep your passwords in a word or excel file on your pc (yes even if it is password protected).
    1. Especially not a file called passwords
  2. Do not keep your passwords in a book, diary or file
  3. Do not keep your passwords on a cloud file, like on Google drive or One Drive.

These methods are all commonly known by hackers, thieves and con-artists. They put you and your family / business at risk.

Things to do:

  1. Ensure that you keep an up-to-date list of all of your important accounts including:
    1. Who the account is with
    2. The products and services attached to the account
  2. Ensure that passwords are stored in a quality password management tool
    1. Use a strong password that does not contain personal information such as birth dates and children’s names
    2. Ensure you store all accounts, passwords and account recovery information inside
  3. Authorise your IT Provider as a secondary authorised representative on your critical IT accounts where possible.
    1. Note the IT partner will not be able to see your passwords, they will be able to provide access to someone else who proves their identity.
  4. Set a loved one or trusted confidant as an emergency account recovery contact for your password management tool.

Extra effort now could save your loved ones a lot of trouble in the future.

The friendly team at GroupSupport can assist with Enterprise grade password management tools give the team a call on 08 9277 1768 to have a no-commitment chat.