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Security Tip (ST05-012)

Supplementing Passwords

Original release date: June 8, 2005 | Last revised: July 27, 2010

Passwords are a common form of protecting information, but passwords alone may not provide adequate security. For the best protection, look for sites that have additional ways to verify your identity.

Why aren't passwords sufficient?

Passwords are beneficial as a first layer of protection, but they are susceptible to being guessed or intercepted by attackers. You can increase the effectiveness of your passwords by using tactics such as avoiding passwords that are based on personal information or words found in the dictionary; using a combination of numbers, special characters, and lowercase and capital letters; and not sharing your passwords with anyone else (see Choosing and Protecting Passwords for more information). However, despite your best attempts, an attacker may be able to obtain your password. If there are no additional security measures in place, the attacker may be able to access your personal, financial, or medical information.

What additional levels of security are being used?

Many organizations are beginning to use other forms of verification in addition to passwords. The following practices are becoming more and more common:

What if you lose your password or certificate?

You may find yourself in a situation where you've forgotten your password or you've reformatted your computer and lost your personal web certificate. Most organizations have specific procedures for giving you access to your information in these situations. In the case of certificates, you may need to request that the organization issue you a new one. In the case of passwords, you may just need a reminder. No matter what happened, the organization needs a way to verify your identity. To do this, many organizations rely on "secret questions."

When you open a new account (email, credit card, etc.), some organizations will prompt you to provide them with the answer to a question. They may ask you this question if you contact them about forgetting your password or you request information about your account over the phone. If your answer matches the answer they have on file, they will assume that they are actually communicating with you. While the theory behind the secret question has merit, the questions commonly used ask for personal information such as mother's maiden name, social security number, date of birth, or pet's name. Because so much personal information is now available online or through other public sources, attackers may be able to discover the answers to these questions without much effort.

Realize that the secret question is really just an additional password—when setting it up, you don't have to supply the actual information as your answer. In fact, when you are asked in advance to provide an answer to this type of question that will be used to confirm your identity, dishonesty may be the best policy. Choose your answer as you would choose any other good password, store it in a secure location, and don't share it with other people (see Choosing and Protecting Passwords for more information).

While the additional security practices do offer you more protection than a password alone, there is no guarantee that they are completely effective. Attackers may still be able to access your information, but increasing the level of security does make it more difficult. Be aware of these practices when choosing a bank, credit card company, or other organization that will have access to your personal information. Don't be afraid to ask what kind of security practices the organization uses.

Authors: Mindi McDowell, Chad Dougherty, Jason Rafail

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