The Digital Scavenger Hunt: Why Your Executor Needs a Map
By James Dyson | Published 26 November 2025
Tags: digital estate, executor, infographic, digital footprint, estate planning, probate, digital assets
When someone passes away, their executor faces an overwhelming task that most people never consider: piecing together the deceased's entire digital life. We call this "The Digital Scavenger Hunt" – and for most families, it's a months-long, frustrating, and often unsuccessful journey.
The Staggering Scale of Your Digital Footprint
Digital accounts, subscriptions, and assets per person
That's not a typo. The average person in today's connected world maintains over 130 digital accounts. This includes:
- Financial & Investment (25%) – Bank accounts, investment platforms, pension portals, cryptocurrency exchanges
- Social & Communication (30%) – Email accounts, social media profiles, messaging apps, professional networks
- Cloud & Storage (15%) – Dropbox, iCloud, Google Drive, backup services
- Subscriptions & Utilities (20%) – Streaming services, software licenses, online utility portals
- Devices & Access (10%) – Password managers, hardware credentials, encryption keys
Without a plan, most of these assets are lost, locked, or become ongoing financial liabilities that drain the estate.
The Broken Process: What Your Executor Actually Faces
Here's the reality of what happens when someone dies without an organized digital estate plan:
Step 1: Locate the Will
This confirms the executor's name and initial legal authority. But a will rarely mentions digital assets.
Step 2: Search Physical Records
The executor spends months combing through paper bills, bank statements, and tax returns looking for clues about online accounts.
Step 3: Digital Forensics
Attempting to locate accounts via email inboxes, browser history, or old devices – often without success if they can't access the primary email.
Step 4: Legal Battles
Serving court orders (Grant of Probate) to tech giants to prove authority and request data or account closure.
Step 5: Access & Closure
Waiting months for each company to complete their manual verification process. Each platform has different rules.
Step 6: Assets Lost Forever
Any asset not discovered during this hunt is lost permanently – or continues generating bills that drain the estate.
Access Delays: The Hidden Cost
Just because an asset is known doesn't mean it's accessible. Different account types face vastly different barriers:
- Bank Accounts – Generally accessible with Grant of Probate (2-4 weeks delay)
- Social Media – Variable policies, often require death certificate and legal documentation (4-8 weeks)
- Primary Email – Critical chokepoint; Google/Microsoft have strict processes (6-12 weeks)
- Cryptocurrency – Highest risk; governed by non-UK law, strict terms, may be permanently inaccessible
- Cloud Storage – Often tied to email account access; data may be auto-deleted after inactivity
The email account is particularly critical – it's often the key to resetting passwords and accessing everything else. If the executor can't get in, the entire digital estate may be locked forever.
End the Scavenger Hunt Before It Begins
"The problem isn't death; it's the lack of an organized, secure plan."
This is exactly why we created the SecureVault Executor Pack – a comprehensive toolkit that transforms this months-long scavenger hunt into a clear, dignified process.
The Executor Pack provides:
- Digital Asset Explorer – A systematic way to identify and track all 130+ potential assets across 5 categories
- Quick Start Guide – A phased action plan for the critical first 48 hours and beyond
- Legal Contact Hub – An organized rolodex of the 14 key stakeholders needed for probate
An organized estate plan is the map that provides clarity, security, and peace of mind – both for you and for the people you'll eventually leave behind.
Sources & References
- Digital Accounts: Average number of digital accounts per user in mature markets (Digital Behavior Report, 2024)
- Access Delays: Percentage of accounts facing significant friction, complex legal requirements, or denial of access due to jurisdiction conflicts (UK Estate Planning Industry Survey, 2023)