"Live phishing" shows risk of personal info

Don't talk to strangers. Oh, and don't give them personal information.

United Press International - Hi-Tech - Live phishing shows risk of personal info

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Despite all the warnings about giving out personal information, many people still freely give away seemingly innocuous details that can be used to crack their passwords, according to the results of a "live phishing" survey.

The 18-question survey, conducted by RSA Security in New York City, asked respondents for information such as birth date, mother's maiden name and pet's name. The survey was touted as being about tourism in New York.

It found that 70 percent of the 108 respondents gave their mother's maiden name, and 90 percent gave their date and place of birth, according to a news release from RSA.

Additionally, almost 85 percent of respondents provided their full name, street address and e-mail address.

"A lot of personal information actually functions like a password and, as such, needs to be robustly protected," said Chris Young, RSA's vice president of consumer authentication services.