Your Digital Legacy & Cybersecurity
The topic of one’s digital legacy may not be something you have paid much attention to, especially since it deals with the somewhat morbid topic of one’s death. But it’s something you will likely want to consider and plan for given the digital universe we occupy.
The term digital legacy can mean two things:
- It’s a term used by companies to indicate planning for one’s passing. There are options with most major companies for how to manage your accounts in this unfortunate event.
- What you leave behind as your personal legacy: Have you ever thought that the last post you made on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn may be your last? How would you feel about what you leave behind if, right now in this moment, your life would end and you wouldn’t have a chance to go back and clean things up. Is this how you want to be remembered? These are some things to consider as you engage with the digital universe. We leave marks everywhere we go online, good or bad, and whether we want to or not. This is the price one pays for engaging with the digital space. This may be a good time to consider thoughtfully how you engage and what you want to leave behind as your mark.
Questions you should consider:
- Who do I want to have my digital music library when I pass? What about my audio book or film library?
- Should someone leave an autoresponder on my email account if I die?
Who will close my social media profiles or issue a final note on my behalf? What will the note say?
Resources
Listen to Ty the Cyber Guy as he talks about digital legacy.
Here’s information on ways companies are handling digital legacy. This is just a start. You’ll want to do your own search for the accounts that pertain to you personally:
- Apple: you give your Apple ID account to someone if you die. You can choose your Digital Legacy contact using a computer or the Apple ID menu on your iPhone and iPad. Learn more
- Facebook: your account becomes memorialized upon death and can be assigned to a loved one to manage. Learn more
- LinkedIn: you can assign someone to manage your account in the event that you pass away.
Learn more