Tidy Up Old Accounts: Shrink Your Attack Surface in an Hour

Why old accounts are a risk

A shop from ten years ago, a forum, an app you’ve long forgotten: each of these accounts stores data about you—often with an old, weak password. If such a service is hacked, your data ends up online, and attackers will then try that password on your critical accounts. Fewer accounts mean a smaller attack surface.

Step 1: Find old accounts

• Search your email inbox for terms like “Welcome,” “Registration,” “Confirm account,” or “Reset password.”
• Check your password manager or the passwords saved in your browser—you’ll likely find a surprisingly long list.
• Check which services you signed up for using a major platform account. That platform’s settings usually provide an overview of connected apps.
• Use our Leak Check to see if your email address has appeared in known data breaches.

Step 2: Decide—keep or delete?

Ask yourself this question for each account: Have I used this in the past year? If not, deleting it is usually the best option. Only keep what you actually use or need for invoices and warranties.

Step 3: Delete properly

• Look for “Delete account,” “Close account,” or “Privacy” in the account settings.
• If you can’t find an option, contact the provider and request the deletion of your data. In the EU, you have a right to this under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
• Download anything you want to keep first, such as photos or invoices.
• Remove saved payment data before closing the account.

Step 4: Secure the remainder

• Assign a unique, long password to each remaining account. A password manager makes this convenient.
• Use our Password Generator to check if a password has appeared in data breaches—change it immediately if it has.
• Enable two-factor authentication wherever possible, especially for email, banking, and social networks.
• Revoke access for apps you no longer use.

Your email account is the master key

You can reset almost every other password via your email inbox. Protect it accordingly: use a unique password, enable two-factor authentication, and keep an up-to-date phone number or backup email for emergencies.

Repeat once a year

Schedule a fixed time, such as the start of the year. With each pass, the list gets shorter—and your digital life becomes more organized and secure.