The digital handover

Last week, a University of London study looked at the digital inheritance – the handing down of internet passwords and account details to loved ones when you pass away.

What happens to our digital assets is so important that over 10% of the Brits surveyed intended to leave their key internet passwords in their wills.

This has a business aspect as well – just as it’s important for people to protect their personal digital property like social media accounts and online photos – businesses have to consider how to safeguard important online details, particularly when using cloud computing services.

One of the greatest risks is the trusted employee who has all the log in details. When that staff member moves on, those passwords and account details often leave with them.

In the past, websites have been the common problem area after the person with the login details leaves the firm and the website is frozen in time. Today the stakes are far higher should a business be locked out of their accounting system or a key line of business application.

Given the “hands-off” customer service of many cloud computing services, it’s difficult to find someone who can help in those situations, let alone reset passwords. When you do find someone who can help you the resolution can be a long, drawn out process.

Things are worse if a company changes hands, or ceases business, then not having passwords and account details becomes a serious problem for the new owners or liquidators. If you’re selling a business, not having those details can be a real obstacle to a successful sale.

Knowing your company’s logins and online account details is a critical part of an organisation’s disaster recovery plan and good business sense. Make sure you have these listed and kept in a secure place and not just trusting them all to one key employee.

It’s also important to make sure all the services are in the business’s name using the organisation’s email details and other addresses. If personal contacts are used, the situation is a lot more difficult to resolve when a problem arises.

Data saved on computers and the net are today as important as material goods, so having a digital handover plan for your business is as vital as the digital inheritance for your personal life. Make sure your assets won’t be locked away if something unfortunate happens.

Paul Wallbank is one of Australia’s leading experts on how industries and societies are changing in this connected, globalised era. When he isn’t explaining technology issues, he helps businesses and community organisations find opportunities in the new economy.