We’re all familiar with security questions and answers. They inundate our lives every time you set up a new account. Many of us will probably have a major brain fade about the whole thing eventually.
Good thing passwords can be reset by answering a few simple questions to verify your identity. The normal’s like:
- What was your school mascot?
- What’s your mothers maiden name?
- What was your first car?
Here’s the issue, the questions are too simple. Anyone can easily find these answers in any social media site. Sitting in news feeds, websites, tagged photos and posts is almost everything a hacker needs to know about you.
Did you know the Eagle is one of the most common answers to “What’s your school mascot?”. It’s the number one mascot in the country, which means it’s the answer to a prime security question on thousands of accounts. Possibly even yours.
So do yourself a favor, don’t use real life.
Lie. Yes, Lie. Make it up.
Your mother won’t get mad. Promise.
Maybe Kitty Forman would have made a better mom? Was your school mascot an Eagle? Not now, it’s a Tweedle Beetle. Wasn’t your first car part of the Imperial Starfleet? Mine was… (I’m such a dork)
A trick I previously used (that is, before I started sharing it) was my favorite book growing up. Let’s say yours is Harry Potter. Your security questions would go like this:
- First car? Nimbus 2000
- Mothers maiden name? Evans
- First girlfriend? Cho Chang
- High school mascot? Lion
- Birth City? Godric Hollow
You could use your favorite movie, TV show or reality series. Twilight? 30 Rock? Big Bang Theory? Diary of a Wimpy Kid? A Celebrity life? Whatever you choose, don’t share. The less everybody knows, the better off you are.
~V
Velma
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