UA initiates Account Security Update (Security Q&A authentication added 2016)
Mar 11, 16, 2:39 pm
#286
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA 1K MM, Accor Plat, Htz PC, Natl ExEm, other random status
Posts: 2,875
Not to be morbid, but I emailed my wife with a screenshot of the answers to my questions, in case anything were to happen to me, since many of them were questions that my family wouldn't necessarily know.
Greg
Greg
Mar 12, 16, 10:38 am
#288
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.034MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 51,459
No scam, other than United's poor implementation.
Last edited by goalie; Mar 12, 16 at 11:50 am Reason: link no linger needed after thread merge
Mar 12, 16, 10:40 am
#289
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SRQ, PDX
Programs: UA 1 MM, AA Gold, DL
Posts: 896
It's legit. You just have to keep trying the login until it directs you to update your security info. Same thing happened to me.
Mar 15, 16, 11:25 am
#291
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 68
Unlimited Free miles: redeem at united.com
Anyone want to tip hacker groups to the fact that there's unlimited free flights available to them courtesy of united.com and it's new "security"?
Alternatively, is there somebody competent who's actually had to deal with real website security since the 1980's that one can talk to (or email)? Surely, there's someone with half a clue about basic IT working at United?
Alternatively, is there somebody competent who's actually had to deal with real website security since the 1980's that one can talk to (or email)? Surely, there's someone with half a clue about basic IT working at United?
Mar 17, 16, 7:29 pm
#292
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Sunny SYDNEY!
Programs: UA Million Miler. (1.9M) Virgin Platinum. HH Diamond + SPG Gold
Posts: 32,324
Please sack the Chimps who set up the new password remember prompt options.
Got Warning email -- "change over to new system in a few days or else", yaketty yak.
So go to do it for me and family.
For 25 years my OnePass number and password has worked fine but of course this is "progress".
What DOPE set up there 5 "remember" questions?
Favorite subject at school -- that does NOT have "English" on drop down - someone is kidding right? Maybe the questions were compiled n Bangladesh or Calcutta?
Wacksville list of 'Favorite winters sports' options that are not possible to even do, in half the planet.
What career your wanted when you left school that had 20 choices and no others etc.
It is the WORST program changeover options I have ever seen, and most I'll never remember if ever asked.
NONE of the 5 (why FIVE??!) silly questions had option for member to add their OWN answers.
I'll not remember the answers to these next week, much less next year.
EVERY other similar multi choice things has stuff you CAN remember - First High School, First Pet name, Best friend's first name, Favorite Football team etc and YOU type the answers.
"What Musical Instrument do you play" - and there was NO drop down option for NONE,
What is your favorite Artist - again no options to add your REAL favorite painter or "none of the above". I am supposed to tick Picasso or Renoir (and remember that in 2 years!) simply as Brett Whiteley is not on their clumsy list?
"First large town you ever visited" - they are kidding right? Did not even bother clicking to see what loopy choices I was given, none of which WERE the first town I visited, I can bet.
The dumb thing is I'll likely be blocked access to account in 12 months if I phone something in and get asked answers to this crazy stuff.
So go to do it for me and family.
For 25 years my OnePass number and password has worked fine but of course this is "progress".
What DOPE set up there 5 "remember" questions?
Favorite subject at school -- that does NOT have "English" on drop down - someone is kidding right? Maybe the questions were compiled n Bangladesh or Calcutta?
Wacksville list of 'Favorite winters sports' options that are not possible to even do, in half the planet.
What career your wanted when you left school that had 20 choices and no others etc.
It is the WORST program changeover options I have ever seen, and most I'll never remember if ever asked.
NONE of the 5 (why FIVE??!) silly questions had option for member to add their OWN answers.
I'll not remember the answers to these next week, much less next year.
EVERY other similar multi choice things has stuff you CAN remember - First High School, First Pet name, Best friend's first name, Favorite Football team etc and YOU type the answers.
"What Musical Instrument do you play" - and there was NO drop down option for NONE,
What is your favorite Artist - again no options to add your REAL favorite painter or "none of the above". I am supposed to tick Picasso or Renoir (and remember that in 2 years!) simply as Brett Whiteley is not on their clumsy list?
"First large town you ever visited" - they are kidding right? Did not even bother clicking to see what loopy choices I was given, none of which WERE the first town I visited, I can bet.
The dumb thing is I'll likely be blocked access to account in 12 months if I phone something in and get asked answers to this crazy stuff.
Mar 17, 16, 7:59 pm
#293
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Posts: 10,775
Got Warning email -- "change over to new system in a few days or else", yaketty yak.
So go to do it for me and family.
For 25 years my OnePass number and password has worked fine but of course this is "progress".
What DOPE set up there 5 "remember" questions?
Favorite subject at school -- that does NOT have "English" on drop down - someone is kidding right? Maybe the questions were compiled n Bangladesh or Calcutta?
Wacksville list of 'Favorite winters sports' options that are not possible to even do, in half the planet.
What career your wanted when you left school that had 20 choices and no others etc.
It is the WORST program changeover options I have ever seen, and most I'll never remember if ever asked.
NONE of the 5 (why FIVE??!) silly questions had option for member to add their OWN answers.
I'll not remember the answers to these next week, much less next year.
EVERY other similar multi choice things has stuff you CAN remember - First High School, First Pet name, Best friend's first name, Favorite Football team etc and YOU type the answers.
"What Musical Instrument do you play" - and there was NO drop down option for NONE,
What is your favorite Artist - again no options to add your REAL favorite painter or "none of the above". I am supposed to tick Picasso or Renoir (and remember that in 2 years!) simply as Brett Whiteley is not on their clumsy list?
"First large town you ever visited" - they are kidding right? Did not even bother clicking to see what loopy choices I was given, none of which WERE the first town I visited, I can bet.
The dumb thing is I'll likely be blocked access to account in 12 months if I phone something in and get asked answers to this crazy stuff.
So go to do it for me and family.
For 25 years my OnePass number and password has worked fine but of course this is "progress".
What DOPE set up there 5 "remember" questions?
Favorite subject at school -- that does NOT have "English" on drop down - someone is kidding right? Maybe the questions were compiled n Bangladesh or Calcutta?
Wacksville list of 'Favorite winters sports' options that are not possible to even do, in half the planet.
What career your wanted when you left school that had 20 choices and no others etc.
It is the WORST program changeover options I have ever seen, and most I'll never remember if ever asked.
NONE of the 5 (why FIVE??!) silly questions had option for member to add their OWN answers.
I'll not remember the answers to these next week, much less next year.
EVERY other similar multi choice things has stuff you CAN remember - First High School, First Pet name, Best friend's first name, Favorite Football team etc and YOU type the answers.
"What Musical Instrument do you play" - and there was NO drop down option for NONE,
What is your favorite Artist - again no options to add your REAL favorite painter or "none of the above". I am supposed to tick Picasso or Renoir (and remember that in 2 years!) simply as Brett Whiteley is not on their clumsy list?
"First large town you ever visited" - they are kidding right? Did not even bother clicking to see what loopy choices I was given, none of which WERE the first town I visited, I can bet.
The dumb thing is I'll likely be blocked access to account in 12 months if I phone something in and get asked answers to this crazy stuff.
Mar 17, 16, 8:08 pm
#294
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.7MM, AVIS PC
Posts: 5,157
Mar 18, 16, 8:50 am
#296
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Ex-MSP
Programs: UA: Plat, Marriott: Annual Ambassador, Lifetime Grandfather
Posts: 293
This is why I now just use the "BUSINESS1234" password. That, plus the fact that I can't just do Cmd-\ on the pop-up to use my 1Password browser extension in the pop-up. (However, to be fair, the second thing is Apple's problem, not United's.)
Mar 18, 16, 9:15 am
#298
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BOS<>NYC<>BKK
Programs: UA 4.3MM LT-GS; AA1MM; Amtrak SE; MAR LT TITAN; PC Plat; HIL DIA; HYA GLOB
Posts: 4,261
This appears to be a problem for everyone, but not (directly) connected. I did the security update weeks ago, but the expert mode loss happened just a few days ago.
Mar 18, 16, 9:53 am
#299
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 28,781
This appears to be a problem for everyone, but not (directly) connected. I did the security update weeks ago, but the expert mode loss happened just a few days ago.
There is an issue with Expert Mode and it is being discussed in the recent posts in this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...t-working.html
goalie
UA Forum Co-Moderator
Mar 24, 16, 12:14 pm
#300
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 1
yep, it's a {mess} all right
Last week I succumbed to the forced United password change. Part of the change is the worst implementation of the dreaded "security questions" I've ever seen. You have to pick FIVE of these things from a list of inane questions: what was your LEAST favorite vegetable when you were a child? What is your favorite sea animal?
I don't go around with an endless list of "favorites" in my head. My mind just doesn't work that way. I could not find five questions to which I could give a true or memorable answer. And--this is the {mess} part--you can't just enter your own private text and remember that. You have to choose each answer from a drop down list that is just as idiotic as the question.
In short: you must remember arbitrary forced answers to five meaningless questions. Sure enough, a week later, I had forgotten which password I had used and tried the "forgot password" service which brought up the questions. FAIL! ACCOUNT LOCKED! Called the 800 number and still couldn't answer the questions. In response to my gripes, a snippy service rep told me United had "done a lot of research" to come up with this disaster. Guess I'm just not smart enough to fly with the big boys.
So my account remains locked and has been passed on to "corporate security." Maybe in a week they'll fix my account... or not.
Hey United, here's a security question I've definitely got an answer for: Which airline WON'T you fly with the next time you have a choice?
And for everyone else, my suggestion is to write down your answers to those questions and carry them around with you.
I don't go around with an endless list of "favorites" in my head. My mind just doesn't work that way. I could not find five questions to which I could give a true or memorable answer. And--this is the {mess} part--you can't just enter your own private text and remember that. You have to choose each answer from a drop down list that is just as idiotic as the question.
In short: you must remember arbitrary forced answers to five meaningless questions. Sure enough, a week later, I had forgotten which password I had used and tried the "forgot password" service which brought up the questions. FAIL! ACCOUNT LOCKED! Called the 800 number and still couldn't answer the questions. In response to my gripes, a snippy service rep told me United had "done a lot of research" to come up with this disaster. Guess I'm just not smart enough to fly with the big boys.
So my account remains locked and has been passed on to "corporate security." Maybe in a week they'll fix my account... or not.
Hey United, here's a security question I've definitely got an answer for: Which airline WON'T you fly with the next time you have a choice?
And for everyone else, my suggestion is to write down your answers to those questions and carry them around with you.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Mar 24, 16 at 12:18 pm Reason: language
