Who Handles Family IT Should You Pass Away?
It’s something that struck me the other day. My wife and I were talking about how messed up things would be if I passed away. After all, while I do carry life insurance, it doesn’t come stocked with all my data on who I work with on a day to day basis, who needs to be contacted, etc. should I get hit by a bus. This is not to say that I plan on playing in traffic any time soon, but perhaps it’s time to make up a battle plan of what would need to be dealt with from a work/tech side of things should I go dancing in a lightning storm with a large metal rod.
Logins
I use a series of password managers, so this wouldn’t be too big of a deal. Because my layers of security are pretty elaborate, however, should any of these become lost, things might get a little sticky. But what about the other stuff: how I set up our router/FiOS connection, email accounts, work contacts, home server maintenance — the list gets pretty extensive. So maybe this should serve as a reminder that what we see as another day at the office (or home office) could very well create a massive headache for those around us without some proper prep work to prevent disaster.
Idea – create an “oh, no!” kit
Despite this seeming a bit trite, I think that there should be something that provides video instructions to loved ones should tragedy strike, especially if you’re the individual who is the main IT person within a family or household. You think they’re grieving after losing you? Wait until they realize they don’t know how to access half of the stuff that you made appear seamless on your end!
The fact is, you are important as more than just a valued member of the family. Chances are that you’re also doubling as a one-person IT department and this means creating an “oh, no!” kit containing all of the info anyone should need should you kick off. Speaking for myself, I think this is a concept that should be included with all wills and other similar documents. When you go to update that will, make sure the new Wi-Fi password is included for those who might not know what it is. Also, a video tutorial on how to remove common malware will also help ensure that no one is cursing your name after you’re gone. Just some food for thought. Plan ahead, and don’t leave the family hanging should you check out early.
