A digital vault for yourself
A digital vault is a secure place online where you keep important information, for yourself and for the people you trust. Think of passwords, insurance policies, instructions and personal wishes. This article explains what belongs in it and how someone else can reach it later.
Most people keep their important details in many places at once: in their inbox, in folders on the computer, in a drawer and in their head. For you, that usually works fine. For someone who has to help you, it quickly turns into a search.
A digital vault brings that information together. Not as a pile of loose files, but organised by topic. That way, someone else quickly sees what there is and what needs to happen.
Passwords are what most people think of first. The details around them matter just as much: which bank you use, which insurance policies and pensions you have, who your GP is and which subscriptions keep running.
You can also record instructions and wishes. For example, what should happen to your social media, who looks after your pet or what you would like for your funeral. A personal letter or video message can have a place there too.
A good digital vault encrypts your data on your own device before it is sent. This is called end-to-end encryption. The provider then only stores encrypted data and cannot read it.
That has one consequence you should know about. If only you know the vault password, the provider cannot recover it for you either. So keep that password somewhere you can always find it yourself.
The difference from an ordinary folder or cloud storage lies in the handover. You choose one or more trusted people in advance. They do not get access straight away, only when it is needed.
With a Pass, the digital vault from PassMyBits, your trusted person requests access and a time lock starts. You are notified straight away and can block the request. If you do not respond, the vault opens for that person once the time lock has passed.
A digital vault is not a will. A will sets out who receives what. The vault holds the practical information, access and wishes your loved ones need to carry that out.
So the two complement each other. If you have questions about inheritance or powers of attorney, a notary or lawyer is the right person to speak to.
Would you like to see how to set up a digital vault for yourself? This page shows which topics you can record and how the handover works:
A digital vault for yourselfCreate a free account and record in your first Pass what your loved ones need to know. Your data is encrypted before it leaves your device.