'Secret' Questions Leave Accounts Vulnerable

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Rather than replacing the standard secret questions approach, the new method should be an optional choice for users, says Anderson, who agrees that it is important to train trustees to be appropriately security conscious.

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But the idea has promise, says Reeder, pointing out that it is not a new idea to have people use third parties to back up their identity. "When I opened my first bank account, in the early 70s, I had to provide three references," he says.

The two Microsoft papers were presented at the Security and Human Behaviour conference at MIT, Massachusetts, US, last week.