electric relaxation

I’ve only had an account with EmigrantDirect for a few months, but I’ve already gone through two iterations of upgraded security measures. It took me 10 minutes just to come up with a version of my username secure enough for the web site. This latest round involved logging in with a secure ten digit access code which arrived in the mail. Unfortunately, I either never received, or perhaps I mistakenly threw out, the mail in question. I figured I’d have to call them, then wait another two weeks for a new mail to show up. However, they instead offered a strange alternative: the customer service rep gave me the first five characters of a temporary code, and then their computer system e-mailed me the last five. I’d never seen this particular device employed before, it seems like a reasonably clever and convenient solution to the problem of employee trust.

So once I made it past this first obstacle, I was presented with a form with ten security questions (actually five questions and five blank entries which I was supposed to use to provide up to five more). I had to provide answers to at least five questions from this common set.

Once I finally made it through that, their website went down. Presumably this is yet another new twist, and I have to find my way to the new website using a port knocking code scratched on the underside of the toilet seat at the 500 Club down the street.