I always thought those 'security questions' were pointless, but one saved my account last week

My email got a weird login from a city I've never been to, and the backup question about my first pet's name was the only thing that stopped it. Has anyone else actually had a security question work when they needed it?

3 comments

3 Comments

kimr915h ago

Honestly that sounds like a lucky break more than a real security plan. Like @sethm58 said, a lot of that info is just out there online for anyone to find. If someone really wanted in, they could probably dig up your pet's name from an old social media post. It might stop a random bot, but it's not stopping a person who is trying. Those questions feel pretty weak as a main line of defense.

the_drew7h ago

Seems like a lucky break, but most of those answers are easy to find online.

sethm587h ago

Totally, you can find that stuff with a quick search. I had a similar thing happen last week with a support ticket. The fix was literally the first result on a forum from 2018.