What are zombie accounts, and how could they pose a problem for you?

Zombie accounts, also known as “dead” or “dormant” accounts, refer to online user accounts that have been abandoned or are no longer in active use by their owners. These accounts can be for any online services, such as social media platforms, email providers, online shopping sites, forums, and more. It is incredibly easy in our digital world to have a lot of zombie accounts that you may or may not be aware exist.

There are several reasons why an account might become a zombie account:

• Inactivity: Users may create accounts for temporary purposes, like signing up for a trial of a specific service or platform, but then lose interest or forget about the account. As a result, they stop using it altogether.
• Abandonment: People might abandon accounts due to privacy concerns, security breaches, or changes in their online habits. They may stop using a particular service and never log in again.
• Deceased Users: In some cases, zombie accounts are associated with users who have passed away. These accounts continue to exist even though the original user is no longer alive.
• Multiple Accounts: Some users create multiple accounts on a platform but end up using only one of them. The remaining accounts become zombie accounts.

Zombie accounts can pose certain risks to the account holder:

• Security Risks: Abandoned accounts might still contain personal information, making them potential targets for hackers or identity thieves.
• Data Privacy: The presence of your unmonitored personal data can raise privacy concerns for both the account owners and the platforms hosting the information.

What can you do about these accounts?

First, you need to locate them. Start by listing any accounts, platforms, or apps you can recall that you used to use but no longer do. After that, search your email accounts for ones you may have account emails from but don’t remember from the top of your head that you had. Think about the emails you get whenever you open an account: Searching for “confirm your email” or “new account” or “verify your email address” should turn up a few other options.

If you use third-party apps or platforms to login to accounts (such as through a “login with Facebook” button) you can look through those connections to potentially find more zombie accounts. Check here for Facebook, here for Twitter, and here for Google (for example).

Once you have found your zombie accounts, you need to login to each one and close them down. Removing an app from your phone or disconnecting the “login with Facebook or Google” option isn’t enough.

Suppose you can’t remember your login credentials for a particular site or service. In that case, you will have to work through whatever password reset option the account offers or you might have to contact customer support directly. That may sound like a hassle, but it’s worth it for the peace of mind.

If you get completely lost, JustDeleteMe has a handy database of instructions for deleting accounts on many popular services. You can also contact your TeCHS; we are happy to help!

It would be best to remain vigilant about your online presence and what personal data is floating around. Regularly reviewing your accounts and deleting any you no longer use is a great way to minimize potential security and privacy risks.

-TeCHS