WICHITA, Kansas (KWCH) –The zombies are coming to take your data!
It may not be Halloween yet, but it’s the perfect time to talk about zombies — more specifically, zombie apps and accounts. These digital remnants of forgotten services compromise your privacy, drain your battery, and overload your phone. Subscriptions are a particularly big offender. Let’s take a look at how to identify and exorcise these digital undead.
Do you remember that app or service you signed up for ages ago? Maybe it was MySpace, Tumblr, Imgur, or even Expedia for a one-time vacation booking. If you haven’t deleted the account, it’s probably still active and your data could be at risk. I bet your data is in apps, websites, and services you’ve forgotten about.
Why is this important? Because if your email address, password, name and address are all scattered around the internet, you’re a prime target for hackers. Data leaks at MySpace and Tumblr have exposed the data of millions of users.
How to hunt and eliminate zombie accounts
It’s important to track down and delete these inactive accounts. While it’s easier said than done, Google and Facebook can help. Google’s security settings will show everything associated with your Gmail address, as well as saved passwords. Facebook will show websites and apps you’ve logged into with your account. Go through these lists and delete what you don’t need.
Also, search your inbox for terms like “welcome to” or “your subscription” to uncover forgotten logins. Once you find them, visit the site and delete the account. You may need to recover some passwords because you’ve forgotten them. Many sites have required you to reset a password at some point in the last 10 years.
Don’t forget apps
Smartphone apps you no longer use can drain your battery and track your activity. Go through your app library and delete what you don’t need.
Taking the time to remove zombie apps and accounts will greatly improve your privacy. It may take some effort, but it’s easier than fighting real zombies!
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