Client Profile

Background Sarah Murphy, 42, is a marketing consultant living in Dublin with her husband Mark and two teenage children (Emma, 16, and Jack, 14). She runs a small digital marketing agency from home and has been increasingly concerned about what would happen to her online presence and digital assets if something happened to her.

Digital Life Overview

• Heavy social media user for both personal and business purposes
• Manages multiple client accounts across various platforms
• Has accumulated significant digital assets over 15+ years online
• Moderate cryptocurrency investments
• Extensive photo and video collection of family memories
• Multiple subscription services and online accounts

Initial Consultation & Discovery

Client Concerns Expressed

• “I have thousands of family photos stored across different platforms – I don’t want them lost”
• “My business clients depend on me managing their social media – what happens to them?”
• “I have some Bitcoin that Mark doesn’t really understand”
• “My teenagers are always online – I want to protect them from my digital stuff being messy if something happens”

Service Delivery Process

Service 1: Complete Digital Account Inventory

Discovery Session (2 hours)

Using our structured questionnaire, Sarah identified her digital presence:

Personal Accounts Discovered:

• 4 email accounts (Gmail personal, Outlook business, old Yahoo account, Apple ID)
• Social media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok (dormant), Pinterest
• Cloud storage: Google Drive (personal), iCloud, Dropbox (business)
• Streaming: Netflix, Spotify, Amazon Prime, Disney+
• Banking: AIB mobile app, Revolut, Revenue Online Service (ROS)
• Shopping: Amazon, ASOS, Tesco online, Argos

Business Accounts:

• Business Instagram and Facebook pages for 6 clients
• Business LinkedIn profile
• Canva Pro account
• Mailchimp for email marketing
• Hootsuite for social media scheduling
• Business Google Drive with client files
• Zoom Pro account
• Adobe Creative Suite subscription

Financial Digital Assets:

• Coinbase account with €3,200 in Bitcoin and Ethereum
• Revolut with €800 balance
• PayPal business account
• Stripe payment processing account
• 3 domain names for her business

Surprises Uncovered:

• Old Bebo account she forgot about (discovered through Google search)
• A Tumblr blog from college with personal posts
• She was an admin on her children’s school parent WhatsApp groups
• An old eBay seller account with positive feedback history

Documentation Created

A secure Excel spreadsheet with 47 different accounts, categorized by:

• Importance level (Critical/Important/Low priority)
• Account type (Personal/Business/Family)
• Associated email addresses
• Two-factor authentication status
• Estimated value or significance

Service 2: Digital Footprint Documentation

Online Presence Audit Results

Search Engine Analysis:

• Google search revealed her business website, LinkedIn profile, and several client testimonials
• Found photos from local business networking events
• Discovered mentions in local Dublin business directories
• Old university graduation photos on college website

// What tools can do this

// Should the user 

Social Media Deep Dive:

• Facebook: 847 friends, 2,300+ photos uploaded, active in 12 groups
• Instagram: Mix of family photos and business content, 1,200 followers
• LinkedIn: 650+ connections, regular business posts, recommendations given and received

Concerning Discoveries:

• Some family vacation photos with location data visible
• Old tweets from 2018 with political opinions that might affect her business
• Tagged photos at family events showing her children that weren’t under her control
• Her business address (home office) was publicly visible on Google My Business

Privacy Issues Identified:

• Facebook profile showed her full birth date
• Instagram had location services enabled
• LinkedIn showed her full employment history
• Old forum posts revealed personal family information

Recommendations Provided

• Adjusted privacy settings on all major platforms
• Removed birth year from public profiles
• Limited location sharing on Instagram
• Reviewed and updated LinkedIn privacy settings
• Provided guidance on managing tagged photos

Service 3: Digital Asset Protection Implementation

Security Audit Findings

Current Security Status:

• Only 12 of 47 accounts had two-factor authentication enabled
• Using the same password for multiple accounts
• No hardware security key usage
• Recovery phone number was outdated on several accounts

Cryptocurrency Security Issues:

• Coinbase account used email/SMS for 2FA (not app-based)
• No hardware wallet for her crypto holdings
• Seed phrase written on paper stored in unsecured location
• No backup of recovery information

Protection Measures Implemented

Phase 1 (Immediate – Week 1):

• Set up Bitwarden password manager for all accounts
• Enabled 2FA on all critical accounts (banking, email, crypto)
• Updated recovery phone numbers and email addresses
• Backed up all Google Photos to external drive 

Phase 2 (Medium-term – Month 1):

• Purchased Ledger hardware wallet for cryptocurrency
• Transferred crypto from Coinbase to cold storage
• Set up encrypted backup system for business files
• Created secure documentation system for account information

Phase 3 (Ongoing):

• Quarterly security reviews scheduled
• Annual inventory updates planned
• Regular backup verification process established

Service 4: Digital Legacy Instructions Document

Document Creation Process

Family Consultation Session: Met with Sarah and Mark together to discuss:

• Which accounts should be memorialized vs. deleted
• How to handle business continuity for clients
• Distribution of family photos and personal content
• Financial asset transfer procedures

Key Decisions Made:

Personal Accounts:

• Facebook: Convert to memorial account, managed by Mark
• Instagram: Delete after downloading family photos
• Email accounts: Preserve Gmail for 1 year, then delete
• Photos: All family photos to be downloaded and given to children

Business Accounts:

• Client social media accounts: Transfer to backup contractor (Sarah’s friend Lisa)
• Business email: Auto-responder for 3 months, then close
• Subscriptions: Cancel all except those needed for client transition
• Domain names: Transfer to Mark or sell

Financial Assets:

• Cryptocurrency: Full transfer to Mark with detailed instructions
• Business accounts: Close after final invoicing and payments
• Subscriptions: Immediate cancellation except family streaming services

Final Digital Legacy Document Structure

Section 1: Emergency Actions (First 48 Hours)

1. Contact Lisa O’Brien to handle client social media accounts
2. Set up email auto-responders on business accounts
3. Secure cryptocurrency hardware wallet from home safe
4. Post notification on personal Facebook about account memorial status

Section 2: Account-by-Account Instructions Detailed instructions for each of the 47 accounts, including:

• Specific actions to take (delete/memorialize/transfer)
• Platform-specific procedures
• Required documentation
• Timeline for actions

Section 3: Digital Asset Distribution

• 15,000+ family photos: Download from all platforms, organize by year, distribute to Mark and children
• Business files: Relevant client work to Lisa, personal templates to Mark
• Personal documents: Financial records to Mark, personal writings to children when they’re adults

Section 4: Technical Instructions

• Bitwarden password manager access (master password with solicitor)
• Hardware wallet recovery process
• Cloud storage access procedures
• 2FA recovery codes location

Implementation & Results

Timeline

• Week 1-2: Initial consultation and inventory
• Week 3-4: Digital footprint analysis and security improvements
• Month 2: Legacy document creation and family consultation
• Month 3: Final review and implementation

Costs Breakdown

• Initial consultation and inventory: €450
• Digital footprint analysis: €200
• Security implementation guidance: €300
• Legacy document creation: €350
• Total Investment: €1,300

Outcomes After 6 Months

Security Improvements:

• No security incidents or account breaches
• Sarah feels confident about her online security
• Family members know how to access important accounts in emergencies

Peace of Mind:

• Sarah’s business clients have continuity plan in place
• Family photos are properly backed up and organized
• Cryptocurrency is securely stored with clear inheritance instructions
• Children are protected from potential digital privacy issues

Business Benefits:

• Improved professional online presence
• Better client data security practices
• More organized digital workflow
• Enhanced credibility with business clients

Follow-up Services

6-Month Review Results:

• Added 8 new accounts (including new TikTok business presence)
• Updated legacy instructions for new crypto investments (€2,000 additional)
• Revised business continuity plan as client base grew
• Added new family photos backup procedures

Annual Update Planned:

• Full security audit review
• Legacy document updates
• New platform assessment
• Family consultation on any changes to wishes

Client Testimonial

“I never realized how much of my life was digital until we went through this process. The peace of mind knowing that my family won’t be locked out of important accounts and that my business clients will be taken care of is incredible. The security improvements alone were worth the investment – I had no idea how vulnerable I was. My husband Mark actually said he sleeps better knowing he could handle everything if he needed to. It’s like insurance for your digital life.”

Key Learning Points for Service Providers

What Worked Well

• Structured approach helped uncover forgotten accounts
• Family involvement was crucial for practical legacy planning
• Combining security improvements with legacy planning added immediate value
• Visual documentation helped clients understand their digital footprint

Common Client Surprises

• Most clients underestimate their digital presence by 50-70%
• Old accounts often contain more personal information than expected
• Business continuity planning was more complex than anticipated
• Cryptocurrency security knowledge gaps were significant

Implementation Challenges

• Some platforms don’t have clear legacy/memorial procedures
• Balancing security with family access requirements
• Clients often resist comprehensive password manager adoption initially
• Business account transfer can be complicated by platform terms of service

Success Factors

• Regular follow-up and updates are essential
• Family education and involvement increases compliance
• Combining immediate security benefits with long-term planning
• Clear, jargon-free documentation and instructions