Digital succession: preparing access, decisions and the first actions

Start with categories rather than passwords. These commonly include email and cloud storage, photos and documents, social media, online shops and subscriptions, banking and government services, phones and computers, smart-home systems, domain names and services on which a business depends.

One item may perform several functions. A primary email account may hold correspondence, receive invoices and reset other accounts. A phone may be more than a device because it provides the second factor for access. The map should therefore show both the service and its access dependencies.

For each category, decide in plain language whether it should be preserved for the family, passed to a responsible person, archived, memorialised, cancelled or deleted after the required formalities. Not everything should be shared with everyone. Personal messages, family photos and business files may have different recipients and retention periods.

If no decision has been made, record the issue as open. That is safer than assuming that heirs receive full access. Provider rules may permit an export, memorialisation or deletion while refusing to transfer the account itself.

A working register needs the category and provider, owner, purpose, a general instruction locator, the intended outcome, the responsible person and a substitute. Add the last review date and note whether access depends on a phone, another email address, a device or a particular provider procedure.

Do not place passwords, PINs, security answers, multi-factor authentication codes, recovery phrases, private keys or the exact location of a secret in the website, portal, email or VB Structuren map. The map should lead to a secure mechanism; it should never contain the secret itself.

A password manager, emergency-access feature or legacy contact may form part of the route if it is configured and tested in advance. Yet a password manager also depends on a master credential, a device and a second factor. The responsible person needs to understand the procedure rather than receive an unencrypted password list.

Do not cancel the primary phone number or email immediately after the event. They may still be needed for notices, account recovery and two-step verification. At the same time, access under a deceased or incapacitated person’s login without lawful authority is not acceptable. Technical ability to log in is not authority to act.

The digital-succession contact should be comfortable with devices and providers, keep an action log and respect privacy boundaries. Appoint a substitute as well: the first person may be unavailable, unwilling or lack the right skills at the relevant moment.

The informal expression ‘digital executor’ does not by itself create legal authority. Coordinate the role with the will, Dutch levenstestament or another valid instrument and, after the event, with the procedures of the civil-law notary, bank, employer and each provider. Business systems also require a separate corporate-authority and administration-continuity review.

The family may lose photos and documents, continue paying subscriptions, miss invoices or be unable to operate a smart-home service. Dormant accounts may remain exposed to hacking and identity fraud, while automated reminders continue to reach relatives and contacts.

A provider may allow an account to be closed after receiving a death certificate or evidence of authority but refuse to release its contents. Another provider may apply a different route. There is therefore no universal letter or single notarial document: each critical service needs its own confirmed procedure.

In the first 72 hours, preserve devices and data, identify the lawful contact, avoid cancelling the primary phone number prematurely and fund critical payments. During the first month, obtain evidence of authority, contact key providers, stop unnecessary costs, preserve required data and record every action.

Later, close or transfer remaining services, wipe unneeded devices safely, update corporate roles and assemble the completion dossier. Do not delete an account until data has been exported, financial matters are complete and it is confirmed that the account is not used to recover another service.

A new phone, primary email, bank, cloud provider, password manager, smart-home device or business service changes the access chain. Review the map at least annually and after each such change.

A tabletop test does not require logging in. Walk through who learns of the event, where the instruction is found, how the role is evidenced, whom the person contacts and what completion evidence is retained. If one answer is unknown, assign an owner and a review date.