All of us have signed up with websites and been asked to answer the standard security questions. Where were you born? What was your first pet’s name? What was the name of your middle school? Who is your best friend? If you know how to effectively use these questions, you may be surprised at how much of a positive impact they can have on your security and the protection of the valuable information that you keep stored on internet profiles. These questions can help protect you from unauthorized users who seek to enter your accounts.

One fact that many people may be unaware of is the fact that many hacks are actually committed by people who are NOT strangers to the victim. This is an incredibly frightening possibility-someone getting to know you may just be getting to know the answers to your security questions. Someone who knows you is much more likely to know the answers to your security questions, and thus will more likely be able to answer them correctly and gain access to your internet profiles, which often store incredibly personal information. Therefore, it is important to make sure you take measures to protect their ability to enter your account. Thus, treat your security questions like passwords to protect yourself! This may seem a bit confusing, so read on!

Instead of using obvious answers to typical questions (truthful answers that, yes, may be more easily remembered, but also more easily guessed), come up with password answers for your security questions. Keep the answers to yourself and remember to write them down and put them in a safe place. For example, when the security question asks you to enter your high school, enter a random word like “Cow.” This way, when an intruder attempts to hack in, they will be rejected with the real answer.

The important thing to remember is your passwords! They are passwords, and not truthful answers, so forgetting them can mean that you will be locked out of your own profiles. Write them down and store them, and you will never confront a problem. Treating your passwords like security question is sure to increase the level of protection that guards your accounts.

Your personal information is important and any steps you can take to protect it are worth taking. Treat your security questions like passwords, and your personal information will be even more secure online. There are software packages that create and store all your passwords in the clouds so you can access them any time and any place.

If you’d like more information on protecting yourself while online, read “Protect Your Identity While Surfing the Web” on our blogsite.

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