Episode 33 – Security Questions: Why Your Answers Should Be Made Up

Welcome to another episode of FamilyCyber.ie — where we share simple digital safety habits and online privacy tips for those of us who want to make life harder for the digital Voldemorts out there.

🟢 This episode is based on the original Spanish version of CiberseguridadParaFamilias.com. It’s been translated using AI so more people can access these tips in English.

Today we’re talking about something that seems harmless — but can actually be a gateway for cybercriminals: security questions.

📌 What are security questions?

When you create an account, you’re sometimes asked things like:

What was your first pet’s name?
Where was your mother born?
What was your first school?

They let you recover your account if you forget your password.

🔍 Why using real answers is risky

Because nowadays, thanks to social media, public records or just internet searches, it’s often easy to find:

Your pet’s name (in old photos)
Where you were born (on profiles)
The school you attended (in posts or memories)

If a cybercriminal guesses correctly, they could answer your security questions, access your account, and steal it.

🔄 Related Episodes

Episode 2: “We’re all targets online.”
Episode 10: Identity theft protection.
Episode 32: How to safely store your passwords.

💡 What should you do instead?

The best practice is simple: make up your answers.

Example: If the question is “What was your first car?” instead of “Toyota,” you might use “Toyota sun‑sun‑sun.”
For “Who was your first teacher?” you could use something like “Don Fausto nickname.”
It doesn’t have to make sense or be real — just something you remember or store securely.

🏁 Conclusion

Don’t leave your digital life doors open with easy answers.

Invented answers + safe storage = an extra barrier against digital Voldemorts.

✅ Protect your accounts. Guard your data. And remember: the best security question response is the one only you know.

📌 This has been another episode of FamilyCyber.ie — where we share simple digital safety habits and online privacy tips for those of us who want to make life harder for the digital Voldemorts out there.