Using 1Password to track digital assets

Mixalis

<div class="IPBDescription">Passing on details of assets to executors when we die</div>As we digitise more of our lives—I scan and shred everything that comes over my desk—we are in danger of leaving our executors with a near-impossible task in sorting out what we own. The biggest problem comes with internet-only bank accounts. Not only are these organisations notoriously inflexible when it comes to dealing with executors who do not have the correct access codes, it is quite possible that executors will not even be aware of accounts and therefore unable to get the cash.



I have come to rely on 1Password as my "digital Will". My executors have the master password, which, of course, I never use anywhere else other than for 1Password. They can thus unlock my entire digital life and find a step-by-step checklist to realising all the assets. I think it is something more people should consider.



I did this post on my blog, MacFilos.com, which goes into a little more detail if anyone is interested.



[url="http://macfilos.squarespace.com/home/2011/4/2/digital-assets-know-what-you-own-know-how-to-pass-it-on.html"]Digital Assets[/url]



Michael

http://www.macfilos.com

[Deleted User]

Hi Michael,



This is fantastic, I've not really gotten into the whole paperless lifestyle yet, though I really do need to, before my nephew gets big enough to start pulling files off my shelves and destroying important documents. One thing is for certain though, my entire online life is in 1Password and so my eventual will is more than likely to just include my master password.



Thanks for the link to the blog post, I'm going to have to take a look at that when I have a bit of free time.







[quote name='Mixalis' timestamp='1301735697' post='23776']

As we digitise more of our lives—I scan and shred everything that comes over my desk—we are in danger of leaving our executors with a near-impossible task in sorting out what we own. The biggest problem comes with internet-only bank accounts. Not only are these organisations notoriously inflexible when it comes to dealing with executors who do not have the correct access codes, it is quite possible that executors will not even be aware of accounts and therefore unable to get the cash.



I have come to rely on 1Password as my "digital Will". My executors have the master password, which, of course, I never use anywhere else other than for 1Password. They can thus unlock my entire digital life and find a step-by-step checklist to realising all the assets. I think it is something more people should consider.



I did this post on my blog, MacFilos.com, which goes into a little more detail if anyone is interested.



[url="http://macfilos.squarespace.com/home/2011/4/2/digital-assets-know-what-you-own-know-how-to-pass-it-on.html"]Digital Assets[/url]



Michael

http://www.macfilos.com

[/quote]

EJ Griffin

[quote name='Mixalis' timestamp='1301735697' post='23776']

As we digitise more of our lives—I scan and shred everything that comes over my desk—we are in danger of leaving our executors with a near-impossible task in sorting out what we own. The biggest problem comes with internet-only bank accounts. Not only are these organisations notoriously inflexible when it comes to dealing with executors who do not have the correct access codes, it is quite possible that executors will not even be aware of accounts and therefore unable to get the cash.



I have come to rely on 1Password as my "digital Will". My executors have the master password, which, of course, I never use anywhere else other than for 1Password. They can thus unlock my entire digital life and find a step-by-step checklist to realising all the assets. I think it is something more people should consider.



I did this post on my blog, MacFilos.com, which goes into a little more detail if anyone is interested.



[url="http://macfilos.squarespace.com/home/2011/4/2/digital-assets-know-what-you-own-know-how-to-pass-it-on.html"]Digital Assets[/url]



Michael

http://www.macfilos.com

[/quote]



Very interesting...I've been thinking about just this topic recently. Regarding the scanning aspect of it, do you have a preferred type of scanning/OCR and filing software that you use? 1password will definitely be helpful in pointing my heirs to all of my accounts...of course I don't even have a will yet and don't plan on kicking the bucket for another 35ish years, but ya never know when your number will be called...of course motorcycle and mt biking as hobbies do increase the odds a little bit.

Mixalis

[quote name='EJ Griffin' timestamp='1301805014' post='23815']

Very interesting...I've been thinking about just this topic recently. Regarding the scanning aspect of it, do you have a preferred type of scanning/OCR and filing software that you use? 1password will definitely be helpful in pointing my heirs to all of my accounts...of course I don't even have a will yet and don't plan on kicking the bucket for another 35ish years, but ya never know when your number will be called...of course motorcycle and mt biking as hobbies do increase the odds a little bit.

[/quote]



If it's any consolation I've been riding motorcycles all my life--I used to be a journalist on a motorcycle monthly--and I've remained unscathed so far. But of course it's never too early to give thoughts to a Will.



The mainstays of my paperless office system are a [url="http://scansnap.fujitsu.com/ss_about.html"]Fujitsu ScanSnap scanner[/url], [url="http://www.devon-technologies.com/products/devonthink/index.html"]DevonThink Pro[/url] and a good shredder. The ScanSnap is fast and efficient while DTP offers a great environment for sorting out all the PDFs and ensuring you can find things. I OCR everything at the point of import to DTP so it is even easier to find references or other detail.



My workflow is as follows:



[list=1]



[*]Scan all incoming immediately to an INBOX folder on my desktop. This is an alias of a Dropbox folder, so all scans are immediately cloudified for maximum protection

[*]Is it a legal document I need to keep? If yes, file, if not shred

[*]Does it need urgent attention? If yes I create an OmniFocus action or do it now.

[*]Open DevonThink Pro and import, with OCR, the contents of the INBOX. I set DTP to delete the original files automatically. I have a reminder set to import every three days.

[*]Once a week I work through the Inbox items in Devon. Most PDFs can simply be filed for reference, some need further action and are flagged accordingly. When flagged they appear in an action view.

[/list]

I used to go to a lot of trouble filing stuff in DTP into relevant folders. I've learned that Smartgroups can take care of this task, so I just dump everything in one file and rely on the Smartgroups to categorise items.



DTP is not encrypted and contains a great deal of personal information, particularly bank statements. So keep my DTP database in an encrypted sparsebundle stored on Dropbox. That way I have local copies as well as an offsite backup.



There's just one bit of important advice when moving to a paperless office: Have a good backup strategy. I use TimeMachine, of course, but also keep separate external drive backups and a backup on my Drobo server. Plus, of course, you must have some form of offsite backup, even it it's taking a drive or CD to your mother's every weekend. I use Dropbox but there are many alternatives.



Michael

http://www.macfilos.com

khad

Thanks for sharing the details of your process, Michael! That sounds like a remarkably efficient system.



As a motorcyclist myself — I sold my car and have just been getting around L.A. on two wheels for some time now — I value more greatly the possibility of allowing someone else access to all my sensitive information in the event of my death. I am risking my life between the cars of these crazy L.A. drivers every day.



My father and I each have the other's 1Password master password and Dropbox password stored in our own 1Password data file. We can both access everything remotely if needed. Obviously, this is not something to share with someone who you do not trust as much as I do my own father, but one thing I value greatly about this setup is that my MobileMe password is available to him which grants him access to the Find My iPhone feature. Since I never leave home without my iPhone. This could potentially be lifesaving if I ever go missing for any reason.



A similar discussion was brought up as a [url="http://forum.agile.ws/index.php?/topic/2278-suggestion-emergency-password-for-family-in-case-of-death/"]request for a back door password to give to one's executor[/url]. There were some neat ideas like a one time use password and big warning message when unlocking with the regular MP if the OTP had been used, but ultimately a back door is a back door and I don't think that's a road we want to take — on two wheels or otherwise. <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skype_smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':-)' />



I don't struggle too much to achieve "paperlessness" since all my bills are online (with no paper copy sent via postal mail), and I pay them online. I don't even own a checkbook and would probably have to pause to remember how to fill one out if I ever needed to. <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' />



Of course, I also have the advantage of working for a paperless employer. Everything we do is electronic. <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skype_smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':-)' />



Any paper I see is acted upon and discarded. I can't think of a single thing (aside from records like birth certificate, passport, and taxes) that isn't available online already. Heck, even my tax returns from earlier years when I was doing them myself are available online. I can log in and download a PDF in about 10 seconds. (It wouldn't be that fast without 1Password, but still pretty quick.)



I'm curious what sorts of papers you scan the most.



This is a phenomenal topic. Seriously, thanks for bringing it up!

Mixalis

[quote name='khad' timestamp='1301829604' post='23822']

I'm curious what sorts of papers you scan the most.



This is a phenomenal topic. Seriously, thanks for bringing it up!

[/quote]



Thanks, Khad



I scan everything that comes in paper form. Thankfully, there's not a lot of it these days and, like you, I work online whenever I can. I do tend to download PDF statements for credit cards, utility bills and the like simply so I have a ready access to historic data in DevonThink Pro.



I also scan bits of notes, instructions manuals (that aren't available for download) and basically anything I intend to throw away. I keep a Moleskine notebook for odd jottings and I tear out the completed pages and scan them.



I've been at it a long time. Here's the latest instalment in my four-decade history of small office systems: [url="http://macfilos.squarespace.com/home/2011/4/2/getting-things-done-in-the-1970s-office-history-part-ii.html"]Getting Things Done in 1970[/url].



Michael

EJ Griffin

Great feedback guys, thanks! Hey motorcyclists! maybe we need a motorcycle subforum on AgileForums <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':D' />



I do most of my billing/statements online as well, but still seems like tons of paperwork floating around here....most of it not that critical, but I'm a packrat...some of it important like insurance policies and to have them digitized and in offsite backup would be excellent. I probably wouldn't take the time to file each scanned document as long as I had an effective way to search for it by keyword if I needed it. I'll take a look at DevonThink Pro and your blog. Thanks all.

EJ Griffin

By the way has anyone used Neat Desk? http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0026IBMK6/unclutterer-20/ It seems a little pricey and the massive TV ads seem a little shady. But I do like the idea that its scanner can accept small receipts...my scanner at work gets jammed if I feed in small receipts.

khad

I haven't used the Neat Desk, but the reviews put me off a bit. Not very highly rated. <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skype_worried.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':S' />



I would probably go with something in the top rated Fujitsu ScanSnap series like Michael uses. ConsumerSearch highlights the Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500, but all the other models in the series also earn very high marks on Amazon and elsewhere.



Hm... You got me thinking, though. Maybe we should start 1P MC. The patch could be the application icon. <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' />

[Deleted User]

[quote name='EJ Griffin' timestamp='1301889279' post='23876']

It seems a little pricey and the massive TV ads seem a little shady.[/quote]

That there are currently more 1-star Amazon.com reviews (which I haven't read) than all others combined isn't a positive sign. Edit: similar to what I just noticed khad already posted.

Mixalis

[quote name='sjk' timestamp='1301892917' post='23882']

That there are currently more 1-star Amazon.com reviews (which I haven't read) than all others combined isn't a positive sign. Edit: similar to what I just noticed khad already posted.

[/quote]



Yes, Neatdesk (and I think there is at least one similar product) is aimed at the bottom of the market, for people who want to do little more than scan in a few bills and receipts. It's a bit like buying one of those implausible exercise contraptions from QVC instead taking out a gym subscription. Sounds good at the time. It doesn't compare in any way with a combination of Fujitsu ScanSnap and an archival program such as DevonThink Pro. The latest Fujitsus have a way of handling small items, by the way.



Mariner Software, the MacJournal people, have a package called [url="http://www.marinersoftware.com/products/paperless/"]Paperless[/url] which does much of what DevonThink Pro offers. I did try it a year or two ago but found it limited compared with the power of DTP. Worth a look, though. Again, it's a software package only, so you need a Fujitsu or similar.



Michael

Mixalis

[quote name='Mixalis' timestamp='1301904517' post='23894']

Khad: This is a phenomenal topic

[/quote]



As Khad says, the disposal of digital assets is a phenomenal topic and has attracted lots of attention. Page views on my blog went up 300% on Saturday entirely because of this post. I've done a sequel today.



Read it here



[url="http://www.macfilos.com/home/2011/4/4/digital-death-popular-mechanics-makes-a-digital-coffin.html"]Digital Death: Popular Mechanics makes a digital coffin[/url]

[Deleted User]

[quote name='Mixalis' timestamp='1301904517' post='23894']

It doesn't compare in any way with a combination of Fujitsu ScanSnap and an archival program such as DevonThink Pro.[/quote]

Yup, DEVONthink Pro Office and ScanScap scanners are a frequently recommended combination on the DEVONtechnologies forum.

Mixalis

[u]1Password housekeeping to create a Digital Will[/u]



Since I fired my own imagination with the idea of using 1Password to track digital assets, I've done a very quick housekeeping routine on my own data file. There is probably a lot more to be done and I would welcome a discussion on the best way to turn 1PWD into a true Digital Will. This is the rough-and-ready starter which we can all do in a few minutes:



[list=1]



[*]Use something like "digital will" to [b]tag[/b] all your bank accounts, credit card accounts and other items such as tax numbers, birth certificates, licences and identity documents. Anything, in fact, that you think an executor would need to know.

[*]Create a [b]Secure Note[/b] with an obvious title such as "****READ THIS FIRST ON MY DEATH" and include a step-by-step guide for executors, including instructions on how to authenticate and download [b]Dropbox[/b] onto any computer. It's also a useful place to direct executors to physical assets that they could have difficulty locating. [b]Tag the note[/b].

[*]Create a Smart Group to collect all the "digital will" tags. Give it an obvious but eye-catching title such as [b]DIGITAL WILL[/b] so executors can't miss it.[/list]



Out of the hundreds of entries, including logins for just about every site I've registered with, I'm left with just 35 crucial items in the Digital Will folder. This will do for now and I'm instantly feeling a little more organised and a tad more at ease. All I need do now is make sure someone I trust has both the Dropbox and 1Password details.



I would be interested to see any additional suggestions from forum members. A quick Google search reveals hundreds of commercial organisations prepared to offer a digital will at cost, of course. I'm not sure how these companies function, but I can see problems in having to constantly provide them with updates to passwords. In fact, it's too much hassle. On the other hand, 1Password is a free (to users) alternative to employing a specialist and is always more likely to be up to date.



Maybe the development team would give some thought to incorporating the Digital Will idea into the application as a feature so all users are prompted to set it up in this way.

EJ Griffin

So I have experimented here a little bit with scanning and OCR (tried Google docs and Acrobat) and the OCR doesn't seem to work so well unless it is a typed page of information. I assume with a high quality scanner, the OCR improves, but I'm almost wondering if I'm better off scanning and just labelling the doc with keywords so that spotlight search can find them and dispensing with the OCR part of it. Of course this requires additional manual labor to input the keywords. Anyone have some comments to share on this?

Mixalis

I think we're getting a bit off-topic here, but for what it's worth, here are my views. Flatbed scanners (I presume you're using one, either standalone or part of the printer/fax/scanner), don't seem to produce the same sort of consistent results obtained by the Fujitsus. The ScanSnaps are designed specifically for one purpose, to handle large quantities of documents as quickly and as accurately as possible. They scan automatically at the rate of 20-25 pages per minute.



I've never encountered any OCR problems and always use medium quality to improve speed. However, I confess I use OCR only for keyword searches. For instance, if I do a search in DevonThink Pro on, say, Amazon, I get hits on every credit card statement where Amazon appears. Even small obscure references to a name or topic will be highlighted. So I don't have any qualms about the way OCR works in DTP for me. The emphasis in an archival system such as DTP is to achieve [i]searchable[/i] OCR.



I think you will get more help if you visit the [url="http://www.devon-technologies.com/scripts/userforum/"]Devon Technologies forum[/url] and post a query on scanning and OCR there. There are a lot of experienced people there who scan and digest vast amounts of reference material. They will be able to help, I'm sure.



Incidentally, DevonThink uses ABBYY Fine Reader OCR which comes free with the package, although you can change to Adobe if you wish. I leave ABBYY in charge and have had no complaints. It's fast and seems to provide me with adequate search results. I presume the Devon people, who are the experts, have decided it is the best for purpose.



None of this obviates the need to enter keywords or Spotlight comment which I do for every document. Tags are also available in DTP although I don't feel a need to use them. You need to add your own to provide a personal structure which improve quick searches. OCR'd docs don't always contain the keywords you would want to use.



I hope this is helpful.



[quote name='EJ Griffin' timestamp='1302034547' post='24019']

So I have experimented here a little bit with scanning and OCR (tried Google docs and Acrobat) and the OCR doesn't seem to work so well unless it is a typed page of information. I assume with a high quality scanner, the OCR improves, but I'm almost wondering if I'm better off scanning and just labelling the doc with keywords so that spotlight search can find them and dispensing with the OCR part of it. Of course this requires additional manual labor to input the keywords. Anyone have some comments to share on this?

[/quote]

danco

[quote name='khad' timestamp='1301829604' post='23822']



My father and I each have the other's 1Password master password and Dropbox password stored in our own 1Password data file. We can both access everything remotely if needed. Obviously, this is not something to share with someone who you do not trust as much as I do my own father, but one thing I value greatly about this setup is that my MobileMe password is available to him which grants him access to the Find My iPhone feature. Since I never leave home without my iPhone. This could potentially be lifesaving if I ever go missing for any reason.



A similar discussion was brought up as a [url="http://forum.agile.ws/index.php?/topic/2278-suggestion-emergency-password-for-family-in-case-of-death/"]request for a back door password to give to one's executor[/url]. There were some neat ideas like a one time use password and big warning message when unlocking with the regular MP if the OTP had been used, but ultimately a back door is a back door and I don't think that's a road we want to take — on two wheels or otherwise. <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skype_smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':-)' />



[/quote]



This discussion makes me feel you should reconsider the idea of a backdoor password.



Because Michael and you currently deal with the issue by giving someone else a FRONT door key. Arranging for a BACK door to exist as well as a front door and giving someone else the back door key is no less secure than giving someone a front door key. In fact it is more secure, since there could be a warning if the back door key is used.



Of course, it may be too much work for too little gain, but that's a different issue from whether the idea is good.

khad

Thanks for the feedback, danco!



[quote]Arranging for a BACK door to exist as well as a front door and giving someone else the back door key is no less secure than giving someone a front door key. In fact it is more secure, since there could be a warning if the back door key is used.[/quote]

Only having one door to your house is more secure than having two doors and eight windows. Each additional entry point is one more vector of possible attack. That is why you don't see very many windows on a bunker. <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' />



It is for this reason that we do not plan to add any additional "doors" to 1Password.



I hope that helps clarify.

jpgoldberg

Hi,



I was really glad to see that blog post and that it got mentioned here. I've been doing something similar (though with differences) for a while, and had wanted to blog about it myself. But you did much better job.



I use a combinationI of Knox, 1Password and a bank safe deposit box. Basically every few months I update a data CD from the Knox vault I have for the purpose. Although there is a copy of my 1Password data that goes onto the CD, I also include unencrypted exports of the data.



For those who want a "back door" what you could do is create a file with your 1Password master password and then encrypt that file with some other password (using a file encryption tools such as GPG). You could even give the encrypted file to one person and the password for that file to another, so they would both have to cooperate to get your master password.



There actually are secret splitting protocols to deal with this kind of a problem. These allow you to set up systems which, say, require any 3 out of 5 people (or whatever numbers you choose) to be able to unlock something. Unfortunately I don't know of any usable software that implements such systems.



My over all feeling is that I want to make things as easy for survivors as possible. So although I imagined a whole sophisticated system, I really figure that having my data unencrypted as a CSV export on the CD in the safe deposit box will make things easiest for them. The last thing I want is for my wife to be cursing me for making things more complicated than they need to be.

Harry Warrior

[quote name='khad' timestamp='1301829604' post='23822']

There were some neat ideas like a one time use password and big warning message when unlocking with the regular MP if the OTP had been used

[/quote]





Slightly off topic, but I hope the engineers who work in your company are smart enough to know that this utopia is impossible to implement. Unless Agile.ws acts as the storage and gatekeeper of my data, there is no way to know a data (or a copy there of) has been viewed by a third party.

khad

[quote name='Harry Warrior' timestamp='1304710014' post='26448']

Slightly off topic, but I hope the engineers who work in your company are smart enough to know that this utopia is impossible to implement. Unless Agile.ws acts as the storage and gatekeeper of my data, there is no way to know a data (or a copy there of) has been viewed by a third party.

[/quote]

"… I don't think that's a road we want to take…" <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skype_wink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';-)' />

jpgoldberg

[quote name='Harry Warrior' timestamp='1304710014' post='26448']

Slightly off topic, but I hope the engineers who work in your company are smart enough to know that this utopia is impossible to implement. Unless Agile.ws acts as the storage and gatekeeper of my data, there is no way to know a data (or a copy there of) has been viewed by a third party.

[/quote]

You are absolutely correct, Harry. But forums include some not-so-serious musings and brainstorming.



Warnings might be nice to speculate about, but they do - as you say - require that we be some sort of gatekeeper to your data.



Of course we could, in principle, put a "last viewed" time stamp in the data, but that would be easily defeated by the attacker making a copy of your data and working on that.



Cheers,



-j