Ask HN: What happens to your passwords in the case of your death?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23456504

by l1am0 • 6 years ago

2 5 6 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Using a password safe (KeepassXC) for all my password and my laptop being encrypted with both a quite long random passphrases I consider that a secure setup for my passwords.

Which brings me to the following problem: What should happen to them in case of my death or other circumstances where I am not able to provide the master passwords anymore?

What is your approach for your passwords in that situations as some of them might be of big interest to your relatives for certain services or to help you in certain situations.

pwg2• 6 years ago

Note, you entered "deaf" in the title, but meant "death". But reading just a title with "deaf" in it provides an entirely different meaning.

Provided you have two or more relatives you can trust to not conspire while you are alive, you can make use of this system to cover for the contingency:

Shamir's Secret Sharing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamir%27s_Secret_Sharing

l1am02• 6 years ago

Thank you for that note with death :D

Do you practice Shamir Secret Sharing with your relatives?

I think it might be too difficult for mine to use as I did not find a nice gui or something for it.

pwg2• 6 years ago

Do you practice Shamir Secret Sharing with your relatives?

No. But you asked if there was a possible system to allow such (implying that you simply don't want to give one other your master password). I answered with one system I know of.

I think it might be too difficult for mine to use as I did not find a nice gui or something for it.

They don't need a GUI as long as they can be trained (or better, step by step instructions on use provided to follow at such time as is necessary).

The wikipedia page I referenced, in the external links section, points to three implementations. None appear to have GUI's, so that either means:

1) you put together a GUI wrapping one of these for them

2) you put together detailed instructions on how to use one of the three to recover your access credentials when the time arrives.

dorusr• 6 years ago

You could write your password on a piece of paper and give it to family that you trust. When you pass away, and they inherit your computer they can use that password to login to your keepass.

l1am02• 6 years ago

Would you also give them a stick with the keepass db on?

Ask HN: What happens to your passwords in the case of your death?

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