It’s a good idea to have passwords that are unique to each website, so that when your data is compromised on one site it doesn’t give a hacker access to everything else. What’s great about password managers (that store everything with strong encryption) is that you can have a unique complex password and not need to write it down which entails its own set of vulnerabilities.
But what about password recovery? Your mother’s maiden name has probably been compromised. And two factor authentication requiring a text message is a pain for people inflight or traveling internationally – a real problem for an airline account profile.
Having a variety of unique questions with free form answers is one solution. In fact, I applaud JetBlue for taking this approach. One of the questions, though, is stirring controversy on social media: “what is the name of your favorite child”
JetBlue savage for this pic.twitter.com/FQKowYMXQb
— il (@_lanaloo) November 18, 2019
Naturally social media had a field day.
What if you have no children like I do?
Plus what would happen if Prince Andrew was asked that question, bet that would get him sweating…
— Greg Charnock (@gregcharnock7) November 19, 2019
JetBlue even chimes in on the hub bub.
Say it. You know you have one. https://t.co/iWbJfQEgrE
— JetBlue Airways (@JetBlue) November 19, 2019
I’m not convinced though that this is what they’re actually asking. This is a customer’s add-in question. It’s not a JetBlue question.
- Notice the ‘question’ above doesn’t end with a question mark.
- My JetBlue account doesn’t have this question as an option.
- It does, however, have a question that uses these words and continues so if it were JetBlue’s question it seems as though it was being taken out of context?
Regardless customers have a choice of questions, what’s wrong with this being a choice?
Jeez. Got all “Sophie’s Choice” up in here!
Plus you should use said password manager (I love stand-alone 1Password with iCloud syncing) to put down answers to these questions in the note section.
I never put the actual answers to any of these security questions.
So – what is the name of your child would just be a random answer anyway
Well at least they didn’t ask your gender.
Easy,
its baby Jesus.
Why would someone be furious?
This is much better than United’s security questions with a set of static answers. United’s fallen into the trap of creating a system that’s so unfriendly that users will necessarily manage it in an insecure way.
WTF? Just make up a name and simmer down. Some people are just waiting to get offended.
Could be worse, they could ask for the last name of the person who was your first.
Howard Stern match game.
Blank a doodle doo!
I just love it when they ask what was your grandfather’s name. I tell them, I know both of mine, you bastards!
Baby Yoda!