A Security Question, also known as a secret question, security verification question, or password reset question, is a personal question or query presented to users during the authentication process as an additional layer of protection against unauthorized access to their accounts and sensitive information. In the context of user authentication, security questions are particularly applicable when users forget their passwords or need to prove their identity to access their account or reset their account credentials.
Security questions are usually predefined by the system and chosen by the user during the account registration process. The user must also provide answers to these questions that can easily be remembered but not easily guessed by others. The main goal of security questions is to provide an extra layer of security and to ensure that only authorized individuals can access the account, reducing the risk of unauthorized access, fraud, or identity theft.
According to various studies and research data, the effectiveness of security questions relies on their ability to strike the right balance between memorability and security. Research conducted by Google in 2015 revealed that only 47% of users could remember their security question answers, whereas 40% of users admitted to providing fake answers to these questions for security purposes. These findings highlight the challenges faced by developers in creating effective security questions that meet both criteria.
At AppMaster, a leading no-code platform for creating backend, web, and mobile applications, our team of experts prioritize user authentication security and ensure the implementation of adequate protection measures, such as the use of security questions. This is done by incorporating best practices in our platform that are unique to specific user personas and industries.
Some examples of best practices in designing security question systems include:
- Providing a wide range of security questions to cater to diverse users. This helps to avoid questions related to a limited range of information, which may inadvertently disadvantage certain user demographics.
- Avoiding questions that can easily be researched on public sources, social media profiles, or accessible databases to prevent unauthorized access through social engineering or simple deductions.
- Enforcing system-generated random security questions periodically to ensure that answers remain relevant and difficult for others to guess. This is especially crucial since some security question answers may no longer be applicable or memorable to the user over time.
- Using multiple security questions to validate users' identities for critical actions, such as resetting a password or accessing sensitive account information. This helps increase the complexity of the authentication process and further reduce the likelihood of unauthorized access.
AppMaster employs these best practices in its platform, ensuring the efficient and secure authentication of users across various platforms, including backend applications built with Go (golang), web applications developed using the Vue3 framework and JS/TS, and mobile applications built using Kotlin and Jetpack Compose for Android and SwiftUI for IOS. This enables AppMaster users to achieve enhanced security in their application authentication processes.
Moreover, AppMaster's server-driven approach allows for seamless and timely updates to security questions or authentication mechanisms without requiring submitting new versions to the App Store or Play Market. This ensures that AppMaster applications stay scalable and up-to-date with the latest security practices and standards while maintaining integrity and business continuity.
As user authentication security continues to evolve, integrating well-thought-out security questions into systems will remain an essential component of the overall security strategy. In addition, it is important to continuously evaluate and improve security practices to deal with emerging threats and keep up with industry best practices. AppMaster platform's commitment to user security aims to deliver robust and secure applications, meeting the highest security standards while balancing user convenience and ease of use.
