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[tompe]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

You're being purposely difficult. "Born in a hospital in another city" has absolutely no bearing on the question.

Really? I thought most people interpreted the question as the city your parent lived in when you were born. And not the actual city for the hospital. But the point is that I do not remember how I interpret that question from time to time. So the question does not work for me.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

I can't say I've noticed that. Do you have an example?

All questions about middle name for example.

Also remembering names of 6-grade teacher seems to me to be something you do not do if it is not a cultural thing.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by tompe

Really? I thought most people interpreted the question as the city your parent lived in when you were born. And not the actual city for the hospital. But the point is that I do not remember how I interpret that question from time to time. So the question does not work for me.

That's part of the problem. Too many people try to "interpret" questions that require little or no interpretation. Simple is best. I was not asked anything about where my parents lived at the time of my birth. I was asked where I was born. I will never forget the "correct" answer.

But regardless of all that, I find it hilarious that this sort of thing is even an issue. I only wish I was able to create the questions AND the answers to all tests in advance of actually taking the test. Things would have been much easier. That someone would complain about failing a test they composed for themselves (let alone composed from such iconic life events/places) is completely baffling to me. You have no one else to blame for not knowing the answer you created in advance to a question you hand-picked in advance.

EDIT: I think the biggest issue with security questions like these is that many people set them up under the expectation that they're never going to need them. They're just something to "get through" to get the account set up. Then they're looking to blame someone when the worst does happen and they don't remember what they chose. If people set them up with the expectation of when, rather if they were going to need them, perhaps there'd be more consideration given to them at the time of their creation.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

That's part of the problem. Too many people try to "interpret" questions that require little or no interpretation. Simple is best. I was not asked anything about where my parents lived at the time of my birth. I was asked where I was born. I will never forget the "correct" answer.

You might not know the correct answer since it is a totally irrelevant fact that is never used for anything. The fact that matter is were you was "signed up" when you were born and that everybody now. If a hospital is full so you have to drive 30 minutes to the hospital in the neighboring city is kind of irrelevant.

Maybe it is culturally more important in the US exactly what hospital it was?

[HarryT]

I find there's generally a sufficient choice of questions that I can chose one (or however many it is) with unambiguous answers. I don't believe that gmail has secret questions, does it? It's just alternate contact information.

[HomeInMyShoes]

My least favourite question is what is your favourite restaurant. I've lived in so many cities that my favourite restaurant tends to revolve around where I'm living so I have to remember where I was when I answered the question.

Sidney Street Cafe? Khazanna's? Pasta Prima? Caraway Grill? Home?

[Istvan diVega]

There's really no need to pay any attention to what's contained in the security questions at all unless you want to. The system cares not a whit what your input is, so you can simply choose a single, suitably complex pass-phrase and use it for any and all such questions.

E.g. for the question "Where where you born?" your answer can be the same long string of random characters which a password ought to contain or a phrase or sentence having absolutely zilch to do with your place of birth. That way you really only ever need to relate to two complex passwords/phrases if you use the same ones for every site or service you're subscribed to.

While not absolutely ideal from a security perspective, it's a lot easier than having different passwords and security answers for every site and also a hell of a lot more secure than "123456".

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by tompe

If a hospital is full so you have to drive 30 minutes to the hospital in the neighboring city is kind of irrelevant.

Yes, it probably is. Except in the sense that you emerged from the womb there, and are more than likely cognizant of that fact--and unlikely to forget it.

This is silly. As Harry mentioned, there are usually more than enough security questions to choose from that most people can choose some that have unambiguous answers (if security questions are an option) to dwell on this one. Regardless of cultural differences. And if not.... well, write them down for safekeeping. It's only in your best interest to do so.

[crich70]

Worst Passwords

From what I've read a mix of Caps and small letters plus symbols and numbers is best. So something like Mobile#95 for example would be better than a lot of the common ones that people use. The same goes for pin numbers I understand. A lot of people use something like 2580 which is nothing more than the center strip of #'s on a phone's keypad. Far better to do some sequence of #'s that aren't so easy to guess.

[Ripplinger]

How Big Is Your Haystack? and how well hidden is YOUR needle?

Steve Gibson's site, GRC.com, has some great information on security and useful tools throughout the site, including scanning your ports.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by crich70

Worst Passwords

From what I've read a mix of Caps and small letters plus symbols and numbers is best. So something like Mobile#95 for example would be better than a lot of the common ones that people use. The same goes for pin numbers I understand. A lot of people use something like 2580 which is nothing more than the center strip of #'s on a phone's keypad. Far better to do some sequence of #'s that aren't so easy to guess.

The best passwords are at least 12 characters a mixture of upper, lower, numbers and symbols. Do not use words in the your password. Mobile#95 would be easy to crack. Something like
dR43%g$l@95xt is really secure. (Don't worry it's not a password I use! lol)

[crich70]

Originally Posted by Blossom

The best passwords are at least 12 characters a mixture of upper, lower, numbers and symbols. Do not use words in the your password. Mobile#95 would be easy to crack. Something like
dR43%g$l@95xt is really secure. (Don't worry it's not a password I use! lol)

Mobile#95 isn't one I'd use either Blossom. It was just meant as an example of mixing caps and lower case letters with symbols and #'s. I also (as stated earlier) write down my passwords with notes about any caps so I don't have to worry about forgetting them. My handwriting makes an extra safeguard since it would take a while for someone else to be able to read it.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by crich70

Mobile#95 isn't one I'd use either Blossom. It was just meant as an example of mixing caps and lower case letters with symbols and #'s. I also (as stated earlier) write down my passwords with notes about any caps so I don't have to worry about forgetting them. My handwriting makes an extra safeguard since it would take a while for someone else to be able to read it.

It can't be worse than my kindergarten penmanship with my dyslexia making it almost intelligible to everyone but me so I think I am safe. Oh and I am left handed on top of that.

[latepaul]

Here's my favourite reference on password strength

[rem736]

all these security questions require open-ended answers. so theoretically, you could answer with anything you want, even if what you provide doesn't answer the question. it may even be possible to provide the same exact "answer" to all questions, if they don't check that the previous answer is the same as the current answer. then all you have to remember is the exact phrasing of your single answer to multiple questions.