There are ways to circumvent a password-protected device in the case of someone passing away. There are, however, very strict policies we at Neighborhood Nerds adhere to in this scenario
When does this apply?
This scenario comes into play if a Member, or someone in a Member's family has passed away and the next of kin would like access to the data on a device the deceased had used. This is the ONLY case for which we will perform this work. We do not break into devices without justification and legitimate need.
What are the requirements?
For NNI to perform this work, a few items are required.
- The Death Certificate of the deceased to prove there is a legitimate need
- Identification and proof of relation of the person requesting the data
- The device itself
- Any other pertinent information about the device
Note that the Death Certificate AND proof of relation is REQUIRED and we will turn away any instance of non-compliance to this.
Why are we so strict with this?
Data protection is an incredibly important thing. At Neighborhood Nerds we always strive to go above and beyond when protecting Member's data. This situation is no different - if anything it is more important that we are strict. Unfortunately some people will attempt to have someone else break into a device for them under the guise of a deceased relative so to help protect from people attempting to abuse this service, we ALWAYS require a legitimate need, a Death Certificate, and proof of relation - no exceptions.
How can the data be received after recovery?
Once we have confirmed a legitimate need and relation of the person requesting the data, the recovered data can be stored in whatever way is easiest for the person requesting the data. Our most common conditions are:
- Removing the password on a device and making it "open" for use
- Placing the data on a flash drive/external hard drive
- Compressing the files and sending them via email/Google Drive