Stop using "password" in your security questions

I keep seeing people use real answers for security questions like "What was your first pet's name?" and that's just asking for trouble. Use a random string or a password manager instead because those answers can be guessed or found online. Has anyone else switched to fake answers and had trouble remembering them later?

2 comments

2 Comments

thead4422m ago

@david821 you got a point about the hassle but theres a middle ground there. Instead of full random strings you can use a simple pattern like "blue42" but then add the site name at the end. So for a forum it would be "blue42forum" and for your bank it would be "blue42bank". That way you only have to remember one base answer and you can figure out the rest. The site name at the end makes it unique enough that if one place gets hacked your other accounts are still safe. That was a major headache before I started doing it. And yeah people underestimate how often low value accounts get breached too, not just celebrity stuff.

david8215h ago

Yeah I mean is it really that deep though? Like yeah sure don't use "Fido" if you're trying to protect your bank account but for a forum login or whatever who cares. I've got friends who use "blue42" for their first pet and then spend ten minutes resetting their password because they can't remember if it was "Blue42" or "blue 42". Seems like more hassle than it's worth for something that probably won't get hacked anyway unless you're like a celebrity or something.