End of a relationship? Remember to revoke digital access to protect your privacy

NordPass warns that forgotten logins and shared accounts can pose security risks long after separation, urging individuals to secure their online lives by revoking access and changing passwords after a breakup.

A separation can leave more than shared furniture and memories behind. NordPass, the password manager owned by cybersecurity company Nord Security, says forgotten logins and jointly used accounts can become a security risk long after a relationship ends, especially when former partners still have access to email, banking, streaming services, location-sharing tools and smart-home devices.

The company says that kind of continued access can amount to digital stalking. A former partner with an old password may be able to track a location, open private messages, view photos or control connected devices at home. NordPass describes a personal email account as the key entry point to much of a person’s online life, because it can be used to reset passwords and recover access to other services.

NordPass recommends treating a breakup as a digital as well as a personal separation. Its advice includes changing the password on the main email account, checking recovery phone numbers and backup addresses, updating two-factor authentication, resetting banking and payment apps, removing saved cards from shopping sites, locking down smart-home systems and signing out of all devices. It also advises turning off live location sharing and changing passcodes on phones, tablets and laptops.

The company’s guidance fits with its wider emphasis on controlled sharing rather than open-ended access. NordPass says its secure password-sharing tools allow users to share logins, passkeys, notes and payment details with specific permissions and, where needed, time limits. But after a relationship ends, the firm says the safer course is to revoke digital access altogether and replace every shared credential with one that belongs to a single person.