AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – It’s not 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 clog up your phone. Subscriptions are a particularly big offender.
Let’s take a look at how to identify and exorcise these digital undead.
Remember that app or service you signed up for a long time 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.
We bet your information 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 is crucial to track down and delete these inactive accounts.
While this is 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 the account, visit the website and delete it. You may need to recover some passwords because you forgot them. Many websites 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 delete zombie apps and accounts will greatly improve your privacy.
It takes some effort, but it’s easier than fighting real zombies.
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