Different Tools, Different Problems

Password managers and dead man's switches solve related but distinct problems:

Password Managers solve the daily problem: "How do I manage hundreds of unique, strong passwords across all my accounts?"

Dead Man's Switches solve the contingency problem: "How do my critical credentials reach the right person if I'm suddenly unable to provide them?"

A password manager without a dead man's switch leaves your credentials locked away forever if you're incapacitated. A dead man's switch without a password manager means fewer credentials to protect in the first place. Together, they create a complete system.

How They Work Together

The ideal setup uses your password manager as the operational system and your dead man's switch as the fail-safe:

Daily Operation: • Password manager stores all credentials • Auto-fills on websites and apps • Generates strong, unique passwords • You access it daily with your master password

Emergency Failover: • ZeroLatch vault contains your password manager's master password • Dead man's switch is configured with a reasonable check-in interval • If you stop checking in, the master password is released to your designee • Your designee uses the master password to access ALL your stored credentials

This approach provides maximum convenience during normal operation and guaranteed access during emergencies, with a single point of automated failover: the master password.

What to Put Where

In your password manager: • All website credentials • Credit card numbers • Secure notes (API keys, license keys) • Identity documents • Wi-Fi passwords

In your ZeroLatch vault: • Password manager master password • Password manager recovery codes/key • Instructions for accessing the password manager • Cryptocurrency seed phrases (too critical for a single system) • Any credentials the password manager can't store (e.g., hardware safe combinations)

Nowhere digital: • Your ZeroLatch encryption password (share verbally with your recipient)