Security question

Security question

A security question is used as an authenticator by banks, cable companies and wireless providers as an extra security layer. They are a form of shared secret.cite web
url=http://www.slate.com/id/2183030/pagenum/all/
title=In What City Did You Honeymoon? And other monstrously stupid bank security questions
first=Josh
last=Levin
publisher=Slate
date=2008-01-30]

Financial institutions have used questions to authenticate customers since at least the 1980s. For example, a credit card provider could request a customer's mother's maiden name before issuing a replacement for a lost card.

However, beginning in mid-2006, the questions have become ubiquitous online. As a form of self-service password reset, security questions have reduced information technology help desk costs.

Seventy to eighty percent of American banks use RSA Security's "Adaptive Authentication program," including Bank of America, Wachovia, ING, Washington Mutual, and Vanguard. RSA estimates that ninety percent of banks are using security questions.

The best answers are simple, memorable, can't be guessed easily, and don't change over time. [cite web
url=http://www.goodsecurityquestions.com/designing.htm
title=Designing Good Security Questions
author=Garry
accessdate=2008-01-30] Understanding that not every question will work for everyone, RSA gives banks 150 questions to choose from.

ee also

*Password chaos

References

External links

* [http://www.rsa.com/node.aspx?id=3018 RSA's Adaptive Authentication program]
* [http://www.goodsecurityquestions.com/ goodsecurityquestions.com]


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