I keep most of my important documents in Google Drive now. It’s convenient, it’s accessible from anywhere, and I don’t have to worry about losing physical paperwork.
But here’s the thing: Google Drive is protected by my Google password, which is stored in my password manager, which is protected by my master password that only I know.
See the problem?
If something happens to me, my family will need access to those documents. But they can’t get to Google Drive without my Google account. And they can’t get to my Google account without my password manager. And they can’t get to my password manager without the master password.
This is what security experts call “good security” and what family members call “impossible to access when we need it most.”
Most cloud storage services have some kind of legacy or family access features, but you have to set them up in advance. Google has an “inactive account manager” that can give trusted contacts access to your accounts if you don’t log in for a specified period. Apple has “digital legacy” features for iCloud accounts.
But these features don’t activate automatically. You have to think about them, set them up, and make sure your trusted contacts know they exist.
It’s like having a safety deposit box but forgetting to tell anyone where you hid the key.
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