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Stupid new security questions

B

basicfiend

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 13, 2007
91
0
WTF?

I'm never going to remember my answers to these stupid questions. My first car? I don't own a car. My first kiss? Sure as hell can't remember her name. My favorite color? What is this, first grade?

And a second email address? Does everyone have two email addresses these days?

WTF Apple. Steve wouldn't have let this happen.
 
I had to set three of these. I also had to re-enter my password about five times just to download my first 99 cent app. I appreciate security, but this was a little overboard.
 
IMO the Apple ID concept is great. One account that you can use for in store, app, web, iTunes purchases and keep your devices registered in one location. I'd be a little hesitant to use the Apple ID if it didn't have these additional security steps. There are a lot of things that can be done if someone got their hands on your Apple ID that could cost you HUGE amounts of $$

The solution to this problem is simple. Create a simple Gmail or Yahoo free address, then email yourself the questions/answers to that new address. Use that as your second address for your Apple ID then store the new account username and password in something like Last Pass.
 
basicfiend said:
WTF?

I'm never going to remember my answers to these stupid questions. My first car? I don't own a car. My first kiss? Sure as hell can't remember her name. My favorite color? What is this, first grade?

And a second email address? Does everyone have two email addresses these days?

WTF Apple. Steve wouldn't have let this happen.
Click to expand...


You DO know that there's nobody at Apple checking your answers and that you can answer them however you choose, right?

For most people, it's much easier to remember their first kiss or car than it is to remember a few more random passwords, but nothing is stopping you from answering 'kAKfn48Ls' in each of the spaces if you choose.

No, most people I know don't have 2 email addresses... they have 5.
 
cyks said:
You DO know that there's nobody at Apple checking your answers and that you can answer them however you choose, right?

For most people, it's much easier to remember their first kiss or car than it is to remember a few more random passwords, but nothing is stopping you from answering 'kAKfn48Ls' in each of the spaces if you choose.

No, most people I know don't have 2 email addresses... they have 5.
Click to expand...

Yes, but please don't.
That was already my answer to each of the three questions.
:(
 
basicfiend said:
WTF?

I'm never going to remember my answers to these stupid questions. My first car? I don't own a car. My first kiss? Sure as hell can't remember her name. My favorite color? What is this, first grade?

And a second email address? Does everyone have two email addresses these days?

WTF Apple. Steve wouldn't have let this happen.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with this crap! It's more secure then my online bank!! It's only the friggin app store. Or are Apple concerned that our information will be stolen?
Pain in the rear....
 
cyks said:
You DO know that there's nobody at Apple checking your answers and that you can answer them however you choose, right?

For most people, it's much easier to remember their first kiss or car than it is to remember a few more random passwords, but nothing is stopping you from answering 'kAKfn48Ls' in each of the spaces if you choose.
Click to expand...

Not exactly true. The software will not let you use the same answer for all three questions.
 
Seriously go get 1password.

I have around thirty logins just for work I have to remember, all my personal mail passwords and likely around forty websites to remember. Simply not possible without some assistance. 1password changed my life and generally made everything more secure too. Sounds dumb saying that but it's true.
 
basicfiend said:
WTF?

I'm never going to remember my answers to these stupid questions. My first car? I don't own a car. My first kiss? Sure as hell can't remember her name. My favorite color? What is this, first grade?

And a second email address? Does everyone have two email addresses these days?

WTF Apple. Steve wouldn't have let this happen.
Click to expand...

The second e-mail address is optional, i left it blank when I continued and all went well.
 
apolloa said:
I totally agree with this crap! It's more secure then my online bank!! It's only the friggin app store. Or are Apple concerned that our information will be stolen?
Pain in the rear....
Click to expand...

The problem is that it isn't secure.

The questions offered are all too easy for someone that knows the person to guess.

Having them continuing a theme is a terrible idea too.

I've only ever owned one car, so the answer would be the same for all of them. Everyone that knows me can tell that.

So that rules out one set of questions.

The other problem is that these questions are too open in their answers.

First teacher? At what school level? First teacher I can remember right now?

Mrs Smith?
Mrs. Smith?
Jane Smith?
Ms. Smith?
Miss. Smith?
 
Daveoc64 said:
First teacher? At what school level? First teacher I can remember right now?

Mrs Smith?
Mrs. Smith?
Jane Smith?
Ms. Smith?
Miss. Smith?
Click to expand...

Use a last name only. "Smith" would be a pretty decent response, and there is zero ambiguity. First teacher, as I read it, would be the first instructor you ever had. I never went to pre school so, for me, it would be kindergarten.
 
Daveoc64 said:
The problem is that it isn't secure.

The questions offered are all too easy for someone that knows the person to guess.

Having them continuing a theme is a terrible idea too.

I've only ever owned one car, so the answer would be the same for all of them. Everyone that knows me can tell that.

So that rules out one set of questions.

The other problem is that these questions are too open in their answers.

First teacher? At what school level? First teacher I can remember right now?

Mrs Smith?
Mrs. Smith?
Jane Smith?
Ms. Smith?
Miss. Smith?
Click to expand...

Must be why with my bank I have my password AND a pass code. And then to change any money I have to use a machine that's like a calculator with my band card.

But really, a password AND passcode would work fine with Apple asking random characters and letters from them every time.
 
cyks said:
You DO know that there's nobody at Apple checking your answers and that you can answer them however you choose, right?

For most people, it's much easier to remember their first kiss or car than it is to remember a few more random passwords, but nothing is stopping you from answering 'kAKfn48Ls' in each of the spaces if you choose.

No, most people I know don't have 2 email addresses... they have 5.
Click to expand...

Actually you can't have the same answer in any of the 2 questions!
 
basicfiend said:
WTF?
WTF Apple. Steve wouldn't have let this happen.
Click to expand...



Not to too fine a point on it, and I don't wish to be disrespectful to Jobs, but he's dead...get used to it.

Also, how the hell do you know what he would have done.

Sorry, but I'm really tired of this "Steve would have done this", and "Steve wouldn't have done that". Things change, and what Jobs' response would have been is impossible to know, and, more to the point, irrelevant.

I'm sorry Jobs died, but it's time to let the poor guy rest in peace.

Sorry about the cranky rant, but it's just getting really tiresome...to me, anyway.
 
Last edited:
Aren't these questions simply used for password and/or account retrieval? I know I had to set them up, but have never been asked to enter them. Unless I am missing something, this is basically a one time inconvenience. If you don't forget your login credentials and are never "hacked", you shouldn't have to worry about it ever again, right?
 
basicfiend said:
WTF?

I'm never going to remember my answers to these stupid questions. My first car? I don't own a car. My first kiss? Sure as hell can't remember her name. My favorite color? What is this, first grade?

And a second email address? Does everyone have two email addresses these days?

WTF Apple. Steve wouldn't have let this happen.
Click to expand...

Security is good.

Yea, I only have personal email addy and corporate email addy.

I just created a new alias on my domain =) circumventing that layer of protection, oh well. I do have 2way authentication on it.
 
basicfiend said:
WTF?

I'm never going to remember my answers to these stupid questions. My first car? I don't own a car. My first kiss? Sure as hell can't remember her name. My favorite color? What is this, first grade?

And a second email address? Does everyone have two email addresses these days?

WTF Apple. Steve wouldn't have let this happen.
Click to expand...

1. Really, not that big of a deal just pick a question and do a random answer.
2. Who doesn't have two email addresses these days? I have 3, one at school, tafe and personal. I imagine anyone with a job or studying would have a personal email and a work/uni/school email.
3. I don't think Steve Jobs watched over every faucet of Apple, do you really think the CEO of the world's largest company would have watched over what questions iTunes customers were asked to verify their accounts.

I'm no fanboy, just sick of these "Apple is doomed" posts over the stupidest, nit pickiest things. Try Android and see how that works out for you.

P.S. What does this have to do with the iPhone. I would think this should be in the iOS5 section or General Discussion.
 
lordofthereef said:
Aren't these questions simply used for password and/or account retrieval? I know I had to set them up, but have never been asked to enter them. Unless I am missing something, this is basically a one time inconvenience. If you don't forget your login credentials and are never "hacked", you shouldn't have to worry about it ever again, right?
Click to expand...

The problem is that these questions are FORCED on people in the name of security, but they're making it harder for people to keep their account secure.

It can and does happen that you have to reset your password due to a bug in an authentication system.
 
The questions are absurd. ANY security questions that ask for a "favorite" are dumb. My favorite movie? Changes daily.
They should be facts only, and yes, some that an adult would know the answer to. :)

----------
macingman said:
1. Really, not that big of a deal just pick a question and do a random answer.
2. Who doesn't have two email addresses these days? I have 3, one at school, tafe and personal. I imagine anyone with a job or studying would have a personal email and a work/uni/school email.
3. I don't think Steve Jobs watched over every faucet of Apple, do you really think the CEO of the world's largest company would have watched over what questions iTunes customers were asked to verify their accounts.

I'm no fanboy, just sick of these "Apple is doomed" posts over the stupidest, nit pickiest things. Try Android and see how that works out for you.

P.S. What does this have to do with the iPhone. I would think this should be in the iOS5 section or General Discussion.
Click to expand...
Do a random answer, and then remember it. Or, write it down? Silly. The questions should be easy to remember facts.
 
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