Digital Security After Divorce in Australia
Why Digital Security Can't Wait
Your former spouse likely knows your banking PIN, your email password, and the name of your first pet. They've probably had access to your phone, your laptop, and your cloud accounts for years. After separation, every one of those shared access points becomes a vulnerability.
This isn't about paranoia. It's about the practical reality that someone who once had full access to your digital life still has it until you explicitly revoke it. A former partner who can log into your email can read communications with your lawyer. Someone with access to your myGov account can see your tax returns, Medicare history, and Centrelink records. And shared cloud accounts (iCloud, Google Drive) can expose documents, photos, and financial records you may not want them to see.
Digital lockdown should happen in the first 48 hours after physical separation — before you update your driver licence, before you call the bank about joint accounts, before almost anything else.
The Five-Step Lockdown
1. Email and Cloud Accounts
Start with your primary email account because it's the recovery method for almost everything else. Change the password, enable two-factor authentication if it isn't already on, and review the account's recovery options — remove any phone numbers or backup email addresses that belong to your former spouse.
For Google accounts, check "Security" → "Your devices" and sign out any devices you don't recognise or that your former spouse uses. For Apple ID, go to Settings → your name → scroll down to see signed-in devices and remove any that aren't yours. If you shared a family plan (Apple Family Sharing, Google Family), leave the group and set up your own individual account.
2. Online Banking
Log into every bank account you hold — joint and individual — and change your passwords and PINs. For individual accounts, check whether your former spouse was set up as an authorised viewer or operator and remove that access. For joint accounts, changing the password won't lock your former partner out (they have their own login), but it stops them from using your credentials to impersonate you.
Enable transaction notifications on your individual accounts so you're alerted to any activity. If your bank offers biometric login (fingerprint or face recognition), make sure only your biometric data is registered.
3. myGov and Government Portals
Your myGov account connects to the ATO, Medicare, Centrelink, the NDIS, child support, and more. Change your myGov password and security questions immediately. If your former spouse knows your myGov details, they could access your tax records, health information, and benefit statements.
Check which services are linked to your myGov account and ensure your contact details (phone number, email, postal address) are updated across all of them. If you've been using a shared email address as your myGov recovery email, switch it to an email only you control.
4. Shared Subscriptions and Streaming
Cancel or separate shared subscriptions: streaming services (Netflix, Stan, Disney+), music (Spotify Family), cloud storage, meal delivery, and any other recurring service. If you're the primary account holder and want to keep the service, change the password and remove your former spouse's profile. If they're the account holder, set up your own subscription.
Don't overlook shared loyalty programs (Flybuys, Qantas Frequent Flyer) where points may need to be divided or separated.
5. Smart Home and Location Sharing
If your former spouse has access to smart home devices (security cameras, smart locks, video doorbells), remove their access through the device's app. If you shared location through Find My (Apple), Google Maps, or Life360, stop sharing immediately.
Check your phone's Bluetooth connections for any devices that might be linked (AirTags, Tile trackers). If you suspect a tracking device has been placed in your car or belongings, contact Queensland Police for advice.
After the Lockdown
Once your immediate digital security is handled, the next layer is updating your identity across every system that holds your details — starting with your Queensland driver licence, then your passport, Medicare, and financial institutions. The Queensland After-Divorce Checklist sequences the full administrative transition from digital lockdown through to property transfers and estate plan updates, so nothing falls through the cracks.
Get Your Free Queensland — After-Divorce Life-Admin Checklist
Download the Queensland — After-Divorce Life-Admin Checklist — a printable guide with checklists, scripts, and action plans you can start using today.