Are you fed up with having to provide passkeys or pin numbers along with the usual password information before you can access a site online? I keep all that kind of information on a rolodex since technology has its limitations. I have lost whole documents on Word—heaven only knows where they went—and I can’t imagine the frustration of losing passwords.
But here’s the thing: The deeper we go into password territory, the more we get into what I like to call subsets of related information. The pin numbers. The passkeys. And let’s not forget the visual requirements. In some instances, you need to provide a selfie and/or a picture of your driver’s license to prove who you are. When having to identify myself goes to that extreme, I simply cross the inquiring company off my list of places to go and things to do online. I may regret having to do that temporarily, but I just don’t have the time or inclination to comply with lengthy and invasive security measures.
If my credit card company spots a charge on my account that doesn’t jibe with my usual spending habits, they send me a text message with the information. If I made the charge, I simply click “yes” and that’s the end of the matter. If I didn’t, I click “no,” and call the company. They’ll deny the fraudulent charge, issue a new card, and that’s that. I don’t have to provide a passkey, my photo ID, or any other kind of security nonsense. They know who I am or they wouldn’t have brought the odd charge to my attention in the first place.
The other issue I have is that passwords, even recent ones, seem to disappear. A password I created just a few months ago may no longer be viable, e.g., “That password is incorrect.” I can’t tell you how often I see this, and I have to go through the whole rigamarole of having to create a new password. Chances are that one will go missing in cyberspace sometime within the next few months.
If it sounds as though I’ve become disillusioned by the whole password-passkey-pin number situation, I have. Totally. I began working online at a simpler time, and I miss those carefree days. We now live in an age of cybercriminals, people who are becoming increasingly adept at obtaining information they shouldn’t have. I don’t know what they could possibly want with mine, but I’m angry that their very existence is enough to create the security measures I find so intrusive.
James River Writing 