Unlike my peers, I have a fool-proof way to keep passwords/answers safe: I have a little black book of every site with user-names, passwords, security question answers. Every site gets a different user name & password combo. For security questions, I answer with a mix of letters, specials, and numbers.
As for financial organizations needing security answers based upon my actual life, I submit the same criteria. If they balk at using nonsensical information, then I find another financial organization that does all it.
My peers are relying on online services to hold their usernames & passwords which will be used to automatically log into their favorite sites/accounts. This is what I call âcomplacent stupidityâ as the user thinks that another hackable web service âwonât be hackedâ.
Apple assumes you either drive or are interested in cars, that you have fond memories of your first job, that you attend live music events, and so on. I am an extreme introvert who doesnât drive, and am not really into rock concerts. I punted, and have the answers written down somewhere.
Yes, seriously! The classic âWhat is your motherâs maiden name?â used to really always bug me! Getting into my personal life, my mother was not married when she had me, my father chose to not stick around. My motherâs âmaiden nameâ is just her regular last name, her and I have the same last name.
Contra the Google blog, itâs not that hard to make false answers memorable and unique: I usually choose false answers but based on a fictional character rather than myself. Iâve realized I need to treat sometimes a security answer as just another password, though.
