Zombies are after your data!
It's not yet Halloween, but now's a perfect time to talk about zombies: zombie apps and accounts — digital relics of forgotten services that invade your privacy, drain your battery, and clutter your phone.
Subscriptions are a particularly big cause.
We'll tell you more about how to identify and ward off these digital undead.
Remember those apps and services you signed up for ages ago? Maybe it was MySpace, Tumblr, Imgur, or even Expedia for booking that one-off vacation. If you didn't delete your account, it may still be active and your information may be at risk.
Your information is likely in apps, websites, and services you've forgotten about.
Why is this a problem? Because email addresses, passwords, names, and addresses scattered all over the internet make easy targets for hackers. Data breaches at MySpace and Tumblr exposed the details of millions of users.
How to Hunt and Eliminate Zombie Accounts
It's important to track down and delete these dormant accounts. Easier said than done, but Google and Facebook are here to help. Google's security settings show you everything linked to your Gmail address, along with any passwords you've saved. Facebook shows you the websites and apps you've logged into using your account. Review these lists and delete any you don't need.
Additionally, search your inbox for terms like “welcome” or “subscription” to find any forgotten sign-ups. Once you find them, go to the website and delete your account. If you forgot your password, you may need to recover it. Many websites have required password resets over the past decade.
Don't forget the app
Phone apps that you no longer use can drain your battery or track your activity, so go through your app library and delete any you don't need.
Taking the time to eliminate zombie apps and accounts will go a long way to protecting your data. It takes some effort, but it's easier than fighting real zombies.