Who should keep track of it? This question is likely to be asked by a large number of users these days, because digital life – whether private or professional – often takes place largely online. When do I have to cancel my mobile phone contract? What was the access data for my electricity supplier again? On which social media sites have I registered over the years? And did I actually cancel my Netflix subscription? These are just a few things that are not always immediately apparent or that can be easily verified.
In a recent survey by the online platform memoresa, more than 42 percent of the respondents alone stated that they "could not say" or even "in no case" without further ado how the notice periods and terms of their many contracts look in detail. In the worst case, such a lack of overview can cost a lot of time, money and nerves. However, users can easily counteract the impending chaos.
Store passwords securely
Password managers like LastPass or Bitwarden are a good start to bring order to digital life. Users can securely save all their passwords there and no longer have to remember their countless passwords or store them on notes unsafe. This applies to both private users and companies. Appropriate tools enable a quick login to all websites and services, while you only have to remember one main password. The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) also advises the use of a password manager.
Users can also save important files online. This minimizes the risk of data being lost if, for example, the laptop or smartphone gives up. Well-known services such as Dropbox are available for this. Depending on the smartphone used, however, it is usually practical to use Apple iCloud or Google Drive for photos, contacts or documents, for example, since registration is easy and the service is well integrated into the respective operating system. Here too, however, you should definitely pay attention to a secure password.
Contracts and additions at a glance
The service of the memoresa platform, which offers a kind of digital filing and administration system, is more extensive. Here, users can not only store the user names for all conceivable accounts – whether for Amazon, Ebay, Google, Dropbox, Instagram, Twitter or Tinder – the whole thing is expanded to include notes and a history (created, canceled, etc.). Anyone who enters all the important information will now have a precise overview of bank accounts, telephone contracts, subscriptions, memberships and more, including a list of costs and an overview of the contract terms. Contracts can, for example, be uploaded in JPG format or as PDF and provided with notes – as well as an indication of what should happen to them in the event of an accident.
At the latest when it comes to the estate of a person, this is extremely practical. Thanks to the previous listing and authorization, survivors have direct access to all important information, because contracts must be terminated or rewritten after a person has passed away. And social media accounts also stay online if they are not canceled. According to the platform, data security is "at the top".
Automatic data backup
No matter where they are stored, files should always be given a meaningful title. If you name the content after a suitable system, you do not run the risk of not being able to find a file even though it is on the hard drive or in an online storage. In general, users should also save self-created content such as documents or images at regular intervals so that they are not lost in an emergency. For example, the BSI proposes the use of appropriate backup software. This means that users do not have to manually copy data to a USB stick, for example.
Digital tools like Pocket create order in a completely different way. The service enables links to interesting articles, videos or the like to be saved and called up on different devices. For example, it is possible to save an article on the work computer and access it on the couch in the evening with the iPad. The same is also possible, for example, with a Google account or the like. Bookmarks are synchronized between devices. So you are never again looking for this one link that you just can not find.
Conclusion: So there is the right tool for every application. Some services combine several functions, others even have an effect beyond your own death. In any case, it is important to deal with the chaos on the smartphone or in digital life sooner rather than later.