Digital assets and account are now so common that almost anyone who has internet access is guaranteed to have more than one. Be it Facebook or online banking security is a primary concern but is often lacking. Be it weak passwords and identity questions to personal susceptibility to phishing emails, much security is lost in a way that is easily fixable. One big fix is to have strong passwords, they are essential since the use of common words, phrases or simple number like “1234” allow easy access to any online criminals. Use of public wi-fi hotspots should also be curtailed when accessing sensitive online accounts as all data is transmitted un-encrypted and can be intercepted by 3rd parties with ease. In addition, making sure all old electronics have been wiped of memory is essential as much data can be retrieved by those that know what to look for and allow an end around to many security precautions. Ultimately, there is no one way to secure online accounts, but if a grab-bag of precautions is taken, then hackers and thieves will find the going much tougher and hopefully not worth the hassle.
See Joshua H. Miller, The Digital Estate, Private Wealth, November 9, 2015.
Special thanks to Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.
