My simple password reset turned into a two-day security rabbit hole

I tried to log into an old forum account yesterday, but the recovery email was from a service I shut down years ago. I spent about four hours digging through old notebooks and backup drives for any clue, which was a total bust. The real kicker was when I found a text file with a password hint that just said 'think of the dog', but we never had a dog. I finally had to contact the site admin directly and verify my identity with a photo ID and a utility bill. Has anyone else gotten locked out because of an old email they can't access anymore?

2 comments

2 Comments

thea1431h ago

Oh man, the 'think of the dog' hint is brutal. That's the digital equivalent of finding a treasure map where X marks a spot in your backyard, but you live in an apartment. I once had a hint that said 'your first car,' but it wanted the model and I could only remember it was blue and made a weird rattling sound. These old recovery methods feel like they're actively messing with us.

the_abby57m ago

The "weird rattling sound" detail is classic, @thea143, like the password itself is mocking you.