Digital Life & Security: What Should You Have in Place?
Your digital life now holds some of your most important access points: email, banking, cloud files, subscriptions, devices, business accounts, photos and online identities. The goal is to keep them secure while still making recovery possible when something goes wrong.
Have These Now helps you identify what matters and where access is managed. Do not enter passwords, recovery codes, account numbers or other sensitive credentials into general checklists on this site.
Could you recover access if something went wrong?
Digital preparedness is about security and recoverability at the same time.
Strong security helps keep other people out. Good recovery planning helps you get back in. Both matter. A password can be strong and still become a problem if you lose access to the email account, phone number or authenticator that controls recovery.
A practical digital system helps you understand which accounts matter most, how they are protected, where backups exist and what should happen if you lose a device, forget access or become unavailable.
Use secure tools for credentials. Your preparedness records should identify which accounts and systems exist and where secure access is managed, not expose the passwords themselves.
What should you have organized across your digital life?
You do not need to document every app you have ever downloaded. Start with the accounts, devices and services that control money, identity, communication, important files and other systems you depend on.
Primary Email Accounts
Know which email accounts are used for banking, recovery, business, government services and other important accounts.
Password Manager
Use a secure system for generating and storing strong, unique passwords instead of reusing credentials or keeping unsecured password lists.
Two-Factor Authentication
Enable stronger account protection where available, especially for email, financial, cloud and other high-value accounts.
Recovery Information
Keep recovery email addresses, phone numbers and other recovery methods current so you do not get locked out when a device or number changes.
Devices
Know which phones, computers, tablets and other devices contain or control important personal or business information.
Cloud Storage & Backups
Identify where important photos, documents and files are backed up and confirm that the backup process is still working.
Financial & Shopping Accounts
Know which accounts hold payment methods, financial information, subscriptions or saved personal data.
Domains, Websites & Business Accounts
If you own a business or website, know where domains, hosting, business email and other important digital assets are controlled.
Subscriptions & Recurring Services
Keep track of important recurring services, especially those tied to storage, security, utilities, communication or business operations.
Digital Legacy & Trusted-Person Access
Decide how a trusted person could identify important accounts, devices and digital assets if you were unavailable without exposing passwords in ordinary documents.
Know what controls what
One account can unlock several others.
Your email account, phone number, password manager and authentication method can form a chain of access. Understanding that chain helps you protect the right things first and reduces the chance that one lost device or outdated phone number locks you out of everything else.
Open the Digital Life Checklist →Protect the accounts that protect everything else.
Start with email, financial accounts, your password manager, cloud storage and any account that can reset or recover other important services.
Track what exists without creating a new security problem.
Your organizational system should tell you what accounts and systems matter and where secure access is managed. It should not become an unprotected vault of sensitive credentials.
Useful to Track
These kinds of notes can help you understand your digital setup.
Do Not Put in General Checklists
Sensitive credentials belong in secure systems designed to protect them.
Someone may need to know what exists without knowing every password today.
A thoughtful digital legacy plan can help a trusted person identify important accounts, devices, business assets, subscriptions and files without leaving exposed credentials in a drawer or ordinary document.
Review Final Affairs & Legacy →A trusted person may need to know
- Which email account is most important
- That a password manager exists
- Where emergency access is configured
- Which devices contain important data
- Where photos and documents are backed up
- Which business or domain accounts matter
- Which subscriptions should continue or stop
- Who to contact for technical help
Digital access should be reviewed when life changes.
A marriage, job change, new business or death in the family can change shared accounts, recovery information, device access, subscriptions and who needs to know about important digital assets.
Getting Married
Review shared accounts, recovery contacts, subscriptions and household access.
Marriage ChecklistChanging Jobs
Review work email, devices, cloud files, benefits portals and recovery information.
Job Change ChecklistStarting a Business
Review domains, business email, payment systems, backups and account ownership.
Business Startup ChecklistAfter Someone Dies
Digital accounts, subscriptions, devices and online assets may need attention.
After a Death ChecklistMake your digital life easier to understand without exposing it.
A few focused tools can help you identify accounts, recovery methods and important digital assets without storing sensitive credentials.
Digital Life Checklist
Review email, passwords, devices, backups, subscriptions, online accounts and digital legacy planning.
Review My Digital Life WorksheetWhere Things Are Worksheet
Record where secure access is managed and where important digital records can be found without writing down credentials.
Map Important Access PersonalizedMy Prepared Life Checklist
Review digital life alongside money, business, documents, family, legal and emergency responsibilities.
Build My ChecklistUse trusted security guidance for passwords, scams and online accounts.
Online threats and security practices change over time. Use current guidance from reputable government and cybersecurity organizations when reviewing account protection.
Digital life & security FAQ
What digital accounts should I organize first?
Start with accounts that control access to other services or contain important information, such as your primary email, password manager, financial accounts, cloud storage, phone account and important business or government-service accounts.
Should I keep a written list of all my passwords?
Avoid keeping ordinary unsecured password lists. A reputable password manager or another secure credential-management system is generally a better place for passwords. Your preparedness checklist can identify which accounts exist without displaying their credentials.
Why is my email account so important?
Email is often used to reset passwords, confirm identity and recover other accounts. Losing control of a primary email account can affect access to many other services, which makes strong protection and current recovery information especially important.
What should a trusted person know about my digital life?
A trusted person may need to know which important accounts and devices exist, where secure credentials are managed, where important files are backed up and who to contact for help. They do not necessarily need your passwords in advance.
Should I store passwords or recovery codes on Have These Now?
No. Have These Now is designed to help you identify what matters and organize where secure access is managed. Do not enter passwords, recovery codes, account numbers, Social Security numbers or other sensitive credentials into general checklists.
Start with the accounts that control your email, passwords, money and important files.
Confirm your recovery information, turn on stronger protection where appropriate, review your backups and make sure a trusted person knows that your important digital systems exist without exposing your credentials.