Pins and Needles

Vonage recently sent me an email asking me to update my account and create a PIN. They explain the new requirement…

Your PIN is a four-digit number that’s unique to you and should be easy for you to remember. Providing your PIN is a quick and easy way for us to validate you as the account holder any time you contact us.

It would seem that all the other identifiers on my account like my password or my credit card number are no longer enough. I need to create a new secret code that only I will forget know.

I can imagine the execs over there at Vonage planning this new security feature. To enhance security they’ll add this new secret code that’s the only way you can possibly access your account. But what if someone forgets their PIN? Vonage has you covered.

When you choose your PIN, you will also be asked to set up an account security question. In the event you forget your PIN, the correct answer to this question will help us validate that you are the appropriate account holder.

So my PIN is the only way into my account. Unless I forget it. Then my security question will let me in. Why do I need the PIN then? How about just using the security question?