Yearly Review of Account Recovery & Emergency Contact Info

Why

Account recovery options (like secondary email addresses, phone numbers, and security questions) are your lifeline if you get locked out of an account or it’s compromised. Similarly, some services allow designating specific contacts for emergency access. If this information is outdated, you might permanently lose access to important accounts. A yearly review ensures these crucial details are current.

Action

• List all your critical online accounts (email, banking, cloud storage, password manager, social media, etc.).
• For each account, log in and navigate to the security or profile settings.
• Account Recovery Information:
  • Verify that recovery email addresses are current, accessible to you, and themselves secure.
  • Check that recovery phone numbers are up-to-date and can receive verification codes.
  • Review security questions and answers. Ensure answers are memorable to you but not easily guessable by others (consider using unique, non-obvious answers stored in your password manager).
  • Check for and save any new backup codes if you’ve used previous ones or if the service recommends regenerating them.
• Account-Specific Emergency Contacts/Trusted Contacts:
  • If the service allows designating trusted contacts for account recovery or emergency access (distinct from your personal digital executor), verify these contacts are still appropriate and their details are correct.
• Digital Legacy Contacts:
  • Review digital legacy contact settings for major online accounts that offer this feature (e.g., Apple ID, Google Account, Facebook).
  • Verify that the designated legacy contact(s) are still appropriate and willing to act in this capacity.
  • Ensure their contact information is up to date within the service.
• Password Manager Emergency Access:
  • Check the emergency access settings in your password manager.
  • Confirm the designated emergency contact(s) are correct and still trusted.
  • Review the waiting period or conditions for access to ensure they align with your wishes.
  • Briefly re-familiarize yourself with how your emergency contacts would initiate access.
• Remove any old or unrecognized devices from lists of trusted devices.

Remember

This task focuses on the recovery mechanisms within each specific account. It’s different from updating your overall personal emergency contact list (a Getting Started task) or your broader digital emergency plan (another yearly task). Ensure all recovery methods point to accounts and devices you actively control and secure.