"What was my second grade teacher's name again?!?"

The digital age is upon us now, and with all of the technology comes protection. Protection from counterfeiters, theifs, and the occasional bored human being. Numerous accounts are activated with different purposes and passwords, like email addresses and bank accounts. Not only does one receive a password or number, but a question to go along with it in case you forget the password to a very important account. These are usually known questions and are quite random, but what if you forget your password along with the question that is used to jog your memory? Remembering a teacher or first telephone number can be hard to recall. Is there another question? Does the company have a picture of you? Without a password log kept with a lock and key, how is one expected to remember an advanced, top secret code?

You would think the people who make these questions are more careful with the wording of their "security questions". The common questions of "what is the name of your dog?" or "what is your favorite color?" are a little too common for comfort. The first thing one tells another upon meeting them is perhaps their favorite color, or that their dog Shelby has gotten ticks from a recent hike along their favorite trail. Who knows, the person who hacks your account may well be your best friend or someone who knows a lot about you. It makes sense after all. Your friend that you've known since kindergarten knows who your teacher is too, did they ever think of that? Security questions should be secret, but they must also remind one of their own password, that is the challenge. However, a password such as redShelby is not so clever as one would assume.

Another misconception is using one password for every account and anything in need of being secured. Although we might think that no one will be able to crack the code, it can be done, and it has many times. Break through one code and they have access to your entire cyber world.

Security precautions are also found regularly on smartphones. Plug in the code and again, you have access to a small computer. What I don't get however, is why the phone practically begs you to try the password again after you have failed the first time to acess the phone. My phone says "try again" like it's antagonizing the person at its keypad to give it another try, after all you know they want to. This makes me feel a tad unsafe, so I think I'll change my password now.

That is all

-"M"