Got accounts? Got issues! By creating online profiles and websites, logging into members-only sites, using apps and multiple devices without truly understanding the ramifications, people set themselves up for whole heap of trouble! Several times extra personnel have to be brought in to come to the rescue of clients and friends who have issues to do with the likes of multiple Facebook profiles, triple Gmail addresses, lost passwords, and much more. Many of these issues can be prevented with a bit of forethought, some auditing, small corrections, an understanding of each platform, and minimum up keep. But you’ve got to be willing. Account accountability is what this is. The question is, are you ready to tackle organization, safety and reputation issues?

The thing with accounts is this: accounts get abandoned. Each time an account gets abandoned it leaves the account open for cyber attacks, hackers, identity theft, and just plain identity confusion about the previous owner.

Some scenarios of people and businesses that lead to account abandonment include having several email addresses (which are overwhelming and not exactly time-friendly), having several email address (creating confusion about accounts as well as many linked accounts), change in work email (acquiring a new job status often leads to old email addresses getting abandoned), new devices (creating new log-ins and multiple accounts by accident), kids accounts (for example, parents make email accounts, kids make duplicate (own) accounts as well), business accounts (usually, well-meaning employees start accounts for social media), new platforms (especially new platforms that do not take off), membership sites (void after non-payment), death, death of a spouse or child (zero access), and shared accounts.

What can be done to avoid abandoned accounts and get a better system of organization? Here are several tips to get organized. Each of them is just as important as the next one. With that in mind, keep track of your accounts by noting the following about each email address you create: Account name, passwords, additional log in information (like secondary email address or phone number), what tools and programs you’ve used that email address for, who else has access to your email address, and which devices you’ve used to log in. That being said, don’t forget to delete old accounts as you create new ones. All this is bound to help, and then some.