Ask Slashdot: How Do You Securely Store Private Information For Posterity? 257
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."
Easy, look at what was already posted here. (Score:5, Informative)
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 [slashdot.org]
encryption? (Score:5, Informative)
Encryption is when you want to keep people out. In the scenario you've outlined, you need to let people in, but only certain people. That screams physical security. Your online passwords and all that crap can all be bypassed by a court order, which would be issued to the executor of your estate, authorizing the holder(s) of your assets to grant access to them. You don't need to keep a record of your passwords anywhere... once you're dead, they can just reset them. The rest might have value to you, but it is unlikely to have value to anyone else. Nobody's going to care about your licensed copy of Microsoft Office, or need to decrypt your secret collection of porn, music, and videos.
This is not a technical problem. This is a legal problem. This is the wrong forum to answer those kind of questions. You need to make a list of what assets you want (it's called a will) to pass on, and then simply make sure those assets are accessible. Call the companies up that maintain your online stuff and ask them. You don't have to worry about banks, mortgages, or physical assets: That's the executor of estate's job to sort out. Your Will provides all the legal power necessary.
Re: Safe Deposit Boxes (Score:3, Informative)
Few things (Score:2, Informative)
Fujitsu ScanSnap 1500(M)
1Password (or equivalent)
Scan important documents and shred or hide the originals if necessary. Store all passwords in 1Password and give the master unlock key to couple of your friends.
Encrypt, zip and put it on cloud storage. Setup a calendar repeating event (or a chron script) that checks if you're alive every 6 months. Point that to a file called IF_DEAD_PLEASE_READ_ME.TXT for instructions.
You could do this in 1 afternoon.
Re:Wuala + Dropbox (Score:1, Informative)
lastpass was definitely hacked. even the ceo admits usernames and encrypted passwords could have been taken: http://www.pcworld.com/article/227268/lastpass_ceo_explains_possible_hack.html [pcworld.com]
having encrypted passwords plus at least some people choosing weak passwords plus rainbow tables or other brute force tools is a recipe for some people's accounts to be compromised.
Re:Mod parent up. (Score:5, Informative)
Yep, most of the stuff (banks, 401(k), mortgage, insurance, etc) listed in the summary would be best suited to paper. And safety deposit boxes are the way to go.
For the stuff like email and online banking, might I suggest setting up a main email account with a stable password that is as strong as you can make it? I.e. twenty characters, alphanumeric, no words in the dictionary?
You don't need to use this account for your regular email, you just use it to reset your other passwords when needed. So you've got "yournameherebackupaccount@____.com" on every online form for password recovery, and the backup accounts password is written down someplace secure, and too strong to need resetting. Pretty sure you can even set up a "forgot my password" option for your regular email provider (I recall doing something like that with gmail in any case).
Once you become metabolically challenged, your family just needs to access the one account, using the password saved in your deposit box, and reset the passwords on everything else for their own access. Since the password is saved in a deposit box, your bank becomes the gatekeeper for it, and they're pretty good at that job.
Re:Wuala + Dropbox (Score:4, Informative)
No, it wasn't hacked, and that won't change just because you keep repeating it. If you don't select a bad password on purpose (LastPass rates it) you have nothing to fear from brute force tools. Rainbow tables don't help with services that understand salting - and LastPass most definitely know their stuff as compared to a lot of other services.
No LastPass accounts were compromised from the incident that _maybe_ happened. I fail to understand why you seem to purposely want to misrepresent the facts. Your two links have not supported your statements, at all.
LastPass + Wuala is still the best, and most secure, way to solve the question asked.
Re:Mod parent up. (Score:2, Informative)
I just wanted to clear something up in that AC's post: a power of attorney won't work if you are dead and if the spouses is not allowed access to the box on the paperwork with the bank, that just leaves the probate procedure of your state before they will even let you take a look inside.
Re:Answer in the question (Score:5, Informative)
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....
Re:Mod parent up. (Score:4, Informative)
The magic words you're looking for on accounts are "with rights of survivorship," which will give the named individuals direct access even after one dies. It's something you can just ask for on a joint account (if they don't give you the choice directly). I have my savings & investment accounts (and my deposit box) set up this way -- the last thing I want is for my partner to have no access to funds immediately after my passing.
Re:If you have substantial assets, you need a trus (Score:4, Informative)
I don't have mod points, so I'll just repeat for emphasis.
Set up a Family Trust and make sure all of your assets are in it. Besides avoiding the hassle of probate, you can gain some tax advantages potentially, and (this last part may not be unique to Trusts) easily lay out your wishes for who will take care of your minor children should you and your spouse die together.