Be honest, don’t reveal.
The habit of always uttering truth has been ingrained into us since our childhood. Albeit today, we live in a world where everything could be found out about everyone, courtesy internet. But can honesty keep you safe and save your soul from an online scandal?
While many companies are trying to promote the usage of strong passwords, it is imperative for us to understand that it is our responsibility to protect ourselves from those sophisticated methods of online fraudsters. And no, this does not limit to only having a strong and different password for all the websites, it also means giving a false answer to those online security questions. An example of a typical online fraud can be seen in the movie ‘Now You See Me’. (Spoiler Alert) Four magicians in the movie, guilefully ask questions to an insurance company owner. These questions turn out to be the answers to his bank account security questions which only leaves him robbed later in the movie. Arthur Tressler (the insurance company owner) wouldn't have been in a pickle had he given false answers to these security questions. Just like Arthur, there so many people who get tricked into this and according to a report, by 2025, cybercrime is going to cost the world a whopping amount of $10.5 Trillion annually. I think it's high time to be alert now, don’t you?
Security questions are supposed to be easy to remember. After all, they only come in handy if you forget your password right? But it also defeats the purpose of account safety altogether. If Karen knows your Mother’s Maiden name and the first street you grew up in, she can totally get into your account. Ideally, killing those security questions is one way forward. Another one, like I said is lying. So maybe consider lying just this one time to remain secure. Here are a few easy hacks that may help you to keep safe!
- Get a new mother — well don't replace your real mum, mum’s always precious and right but just for the sake of being protected, get a new mother with a new maiden name. It could be the maiden name of a celebrity’s partner of your choice. It could be irrational and illogical as long as you remember it. Idea is to make it as less personal as possible. Similarly, the name of your first pet isn't going to change, so maybe opt for a pet you never had or an imaginary pet you would play with in your childhood.
- Get a password manager — there are uncountable social media accounts an individual has today and understandably it is difficult to remember all those passwords. This is why password managers come to the rescue. Here is a list of password manager applications that are at your service.
- My parents got married in Hy77ag!i90#* town — Write jibberish. It is always good to use a random string of characters with no meaning whatsoever. I agree that this approach makes it practically impossible for you to remember answers, but password managers not only help you with random passwords, they also help you with security questions. Ideally, phase out questions for which information can be easily found out from your social media accounts.
- Multifactor authentication helps — yes it can get annoying but it will help you in a long run. Who doesn't like an extra layer of protection? Multifactor authentication is like a grandma; she will stock up extra food which cleverly you think you may not need but end up eating it anyway.
Security questions aren't going anywhere for a long time. Honesty isn't the best policy when you plan to showcase your entire life online. But for passwords and security questions, no one has to know, and they shouldn't.
