If you are talking about the kinds of questions asked in case you lose your password, I don't think anyone cares if you answer truthfully.
I can imagine some system technician laughs at the answerer's expense if they forget their fib and are then not allowed back into whatever system the password is lost from.
Not a big deal on a chat board, may be quite a big deal (for you) on a credit card or bank account.

I have a hard enough time remembering the truth. I'd never remember the lies. I think asking your mother's maiden name as a security question is completely stupid. I know lots of my friends' mother's maiden name. In fact, my son has my maiden name for his middle name. And isn;t the term "maiden name" awfully dated?? But, I digress.

I read an article yesterday about a man who was required to change his password at work every three months. He decided to use a term that would help him reach a goal. Kind of a daily inspiration, such as Call@mom2sday -- to remind him to call his mother once a week on Tuesday. I thought that was clever.

That is clever! I typically choose as long a password as I can come up with... always in a different language. One time it'll be French, then Latin, then German... almost never English.

I don't forget my passwords, nor do I need my security questions. This one is required to validate I am who I say I am to the person who is a third party doing a job for me. I'm not about to get locked out of anything. I wish they would! Or just go away. I'd be happy with either one. I can think of no instance of my having forgotten a password hint that I have been locked out of any account? But maybe my memory is just that good. Or I bother to write things down. Which is why I don't get locked out.

Right now, both Yahoo and GMail are angry with me because my phone nubmer is 234-5678 and I won't give them my phone number. Why do they need that for an email account? I've survived decades without them needing it. Call it unlisted or whatever. I don't give it out. Nunya is another one of my favorite answers. Isn't that a great name?

LOL Rob! I love the way you think.
I haven't given yahoo or gmail my phone number either. They just want our phone numbers which is none of their business. They wouldn't take my 999-9999 either. How do they know what is or isn't a real phone number?

I just change a letter or two to numbers. e.g. S is a 5, E is a 3 etc, and capitalize something.

Dedtired, that is a fantastic idea.

No, I don't lie. I'm too worried I would forget the correct answer.

At my office we have to change our PW every quarter. One of my co-worklers just used the season and year. Eg: Summer14

I have to change my password every quarter at my work. I always listen to Pandora or Spotify...so whoever is playing at the moment I need to change it that becomes my password...along with the year I graduated HS, college, or birth....i.e. Beatles1970.

I always tell the truth with security questions...it never dawned on me not to...but if they ask you "which" question you used I can never remember and have gotten locked.

You don't have to answer the truth, but you do need to remember what you said. I copy it down in my address book.

Years ago, before debit cards, I shopped at a grocery store that wanted to write your birth date on your check. I hated that and would lie, it was fun to be years younger. lol I never make myself older of course. I finally stopped shopping there. I guess I wasn't the only one, they went out of business.

As socks says, such "security" questions have only to do with confirming that the person requesting access gives the same answer as the first time. Neither truths nor untruths are involved. You could be Minnie Mouse from Never Never Land or your occupation is Sorceress or your first pet was a whale you called Moby Dick. Just remember your answers!

I agree, sometimes I do invent names, but occasionally will combine states and dates, or even countries and dates etc. And most of the time the dates are not even my valid ones, But I do write them down in a book. Most of my passwords are different, never the same. Works for me.

I'm glad to see I am not alone.

snidely, I love those answers. I may use them on the next thing, whatever it is.

When I am required to give a phone number, I use 816-555-1212. It's the number to Exotic Review, it's not mine, but it's legit/real.

I'm another who never uses real information for that sort of thing. Rob333, I wish I spoke more than one language. That would be awesome.

I wish I spoke several languages. I can read bits and pieces. But that ain't it! Freetranslation.com is great for it, and I learn another word or two by using it. That, and playing free rice.

Ah, I'll have to play around with Freetranslation. Thanks for the link.

But think about this - giving out your mothers maiden name, your hometown, your street you grew up on, etc... That really gives out some good info on you. It would be pretty simple to take that info and hack your identity.

With all the data breeches happening - it is worth thinking about. I never put down factual personal data anywhere.

But ... I confess .. I must right down what I do enter or it is lost to the cobwebs of my mind... ;)

I've long said that if one is going to lie ... one had better have a darn good memory (if one may need to regurgitate later, that is).

When folks in their fifties (more or less) complain that they are having a hard time remembering things, I assure them, "Guess what - it gets worse!".

Just wait till that CRS malady sets in, folks ... that's as in "Can't Remember [manure]".

Hope you all have a great weekend.

One of the slogans that as a financial consultant I used on folks when encouraging them to save for retirement was, "For retirees - every ... day ... is ... weekend!".

ole joyfuelled ... who (as usual) just got a wiggly red line under part of his claimed name

I use a basic password that I developed by banging on my keyboard in a rage. :) Then I add extra characters to the beginning or end depending on the site I'm on.

In a rage? HA! Good one. Mine would have to be after smashing it with my head in frustration ;)