Foibles of user "security" questions

mtd mtd at centrum.cz
Wed Jan 9 05:33:08 EST 2008


Victor Duchovni wrote:
 > A
 > security savvy user will recognize this as a second password, that
 > multiple sites seem to want to share, and enter something unique and
 > unmemorable (stored on a "keychain" or just discarded if the primary
 > password is similarly safely stored).

In fact, I see security questions as a security weakness.

My typical answer is random garbage, such as output of pwgen -s -y 48 1. 
This can be discarded then. Or, at least, gpw 1 60 (gpw output is less 
secure, but can be stored, remembered, and even written in on simplified 
keyboards)

Leichter, Jerry wrote:
 > I can just see the day when someone's fingerprint is rejected as
 > "insufficiently complex".

:-) Or iris scan, or body dimensions. I call it security through 
stupidity. :-)

But never mind, these people will be picked up by by government 
datamining as un-normal (terrorist suspects) and imprisoned. Problem solved.

-- 
Martin Tomasek

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