Another password debacle thread lol

[lan101]

So I have an amvets business that lost their gmail password. The landline they have there is the recovery number. Silly I know so of course can't receive a text.

They use spectrum business as their provider. My thought was if spectrum was able to port the number to a cell phone so they could get the text and get back in by resetting password. Something in my gut tells me it won't work but it would be worth the effort for them because they've got their state and federal taxes and all that BS through this one gmail account.

Any thoughts on this idea or maybe a better idea? I know it's probably a long shot but it's all I could think of.

Uggghhh people and their damn passwords. Makes me want to change careers sometimes lol.

The problem all these kinds of businesses have is people come and go and then no one has the previous person's notes/logins. Or the prior person shreds everything before they go etc. It's a cluster when no one is really in charge and that's pretty much what we have here.

 

[ThatPlace928]

So I have an amvets business that lost their gmail password. The landline they have there is the recovery number. Silly I know so of course can't receive a text.

They use spectrum business as their provider. My thought was if spectrum was able to port the number to a cell phone so they could get the text and get back in by resetting password. Something in my gut tells me it won't work but it would be worth the effort for them because they've got their state and federal taxes and all that BS through this one gmail account.

Any thoughts on this idea or maybe a better idea? I know it's probably a long shot but it's all I could think of.

Uggghhh people and their damn passwords. Makes me want to change careers sometimes lol.

The problem all these kinds of businesses have is people come and go and then no one has the previous person's notes/logins. Or the prior person shreds everything before they go etc. It's a cluster when no one is really in charge and that's pretty much what we have here.

On all of my personal accounts, I have an email backup on a separate platform that everything from all of the accounts gets forwarded to. Most password resets have the option of phone or email, correct? If not, is there a way to set up a master email account that the reset data can be forwarded to, if necessary in the future?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

...one of the...quite a few drawbacks of using residential grade email for a business.
No support to call being a fairly big one.

 

[timeshifter]

They use spectrum business as their provider. My thought was if spectrum was able to port the number to a cell phone so they could get the text and get back in by resetting password. Something in my gut tells me it won't work but it would be worth the effort for them because they've got their state and federal taxes and all that BS through this one gmail account.

I ran into a similar issue with an elderly client. Her home phone, which was Spectrum, was the recovery number but of course couldn't receive a text. I was considering doing the same - porting her number to a carrier that supported text. Luckily we found the password before we needed that.

I think it could be successful, but just a PITA and time consuming. But if you can successfully port the number to a carrier (VoIP or cell) I don't see why it wouldn't work.

 

[lan101]

I ran into a similar issue with an elderly client. Her home phone, which was Spectrum, was the recovery number but of course couldn't receive a text. I was considering doing the same - porting her number to a carrier that supported text. Luckily we found the password before we needed that.

I think it could be successful, but just a PITA and time consuming. But if you can successfully port the number to a carrier (VoIP or cell) I don't see why it wouldn't work.

Yeah I called Spectrum and they sounded pretty positive that it can work...so that's what they are going to try. I'll definitely post back and update this when I know for sure that it worked or not.

 

[lan101]

On all of my personal accounts, I have an email backup on a separate platform that everything from all of the accounts gets forwarded to. Most password resets have the option of phone or email, correct? If not, is there a way to set up a master email account that the reset data can be forwarded to, if necessary in the future?

Yeah definitely gonna setup a few things to try and mitigate it in the future assuming we get back in lol.

 

[lan101]

...one of the...quite a few drawbacks of using residential grade email for a business.
No support to call being a fairly big one.

Yep definitely agree but getting people in this area to pay for email is a tough sell lol...especially when most of them don't understand tech stuff very well.

 

[britechguy]

Yep definitely agree but getting people in this area to pay for email is a tough sell lol...

And even if it weren't, once that ship has well and truly sailed, including things like business cards, websites, etc., that include an email address that have been floating around for years the motivation against changing becomes immense. I certainly wouldn't change the gmail address I've been using since day one of my "hanging out my shingle" in 2008 for love nor money.

But I also keep accurate logs (in the form of a password manager, not paper) of every account and every password I have. I also use circumstances like this to drill, drill, drill that you MUST keep track of your passwords, whether by paper or some other safe method, and update that log every blessed time you change a password or create a new account. Usually, having been burned by having to go through the stress and spending the money to rectify the situation (or sometimes only attempt to rectify) the situation is enough to guarantee it won't be repeated.

Once burned, twice (or more) shy applies.

 

[lan101]

And even if it weren't, once that ship has well and truly sailed, including things like business cards, websites, etc., that include an email address that have been floating around for years the motivation against changing becomes immense. I certainly wouldn't change the gmail address I've been using since day one of my "hanging out my shingle" in 2008 for love nor money.

But I also keep accurate logs (in the form of a password manager, not paper) of every account and every password I have. I also use circumstances like this to drill, drill, drill that you MUST keep track of your passwords, whether by paper or some other safe method, and update that log every blessed time you change a password or create a new account. Usually, having been burned by having to go through the stress and spending the money to rectify the situation (or sometimes only attempt to rectify) the situation is enough to guarantee it won't be repeated.

Once burned, twice (or more) shy applies.

Yeah I hope this ends up being a good lesson for them whether it's recovered or not.

 

[timeshifter]

Yeah I called Spectrum and they sounded pretty positive that it can work...so that's what they are going to try. I'll definitely post back and update this when I know for sure that it worked or not.

How is that going to work? Are they going to port her number to a Spectrum Mobile cell phone? Otherwise you'd be porting the number away from Spectrum to a carrier (mobile or VoIP) where she can receive texts.

 

[Diggs]

Not everywhere can receive texts but most verification services don't seem to understand that.. My cell phone is useless inside my house. When you choose another way of confirmation most services will make a voice call with the 6-digit confirming (or whatever). If not it needs to be an email which can be slow. Frustrating at times. I have an IP landline and because of that some services will not verify using it.

 

[britechguy]

Not everywhere can receive texts but most verification services don't seem to understand that..

True, but one trend I have noticed is that many are now allowing the use of the code from authenticator apps, which, after being set up, are completely independent of having any "outside world connection" capability.

I just ran into this yesterday when trying to recover/reset the password for a Microsoft Account. The ability to scan a QR code on the device that holds a passkey was offered, too.

I was also dealing with Google, too, but since I had access to the recovery email for the accounts that needed password resets, we did go that route. You really come to realize how much slower email can be (it isn't always, but it was yesterday) than receiving texts for codes generally is.

 

[Markverhyden]

The landline they have there is the recovery number.

A couple of weeks ago I got an email saying my gmail email address would be deleted since it hadn't been used in X years/months. I recognized the email as an old one I used long ago. When I got to recovery there were links to call or text! How ever I chose other method figuring I could get the code sent to my one size fits all recovery email address. Incredibly it isn't there. So I'm going to try again to see if I can ever get that call option back on the screen.

 

[timeshifter]

When I got to recovery there were links to call or text!

That’s encouraging.

Maybe they’re only using it for situations like Mark’s or maybe they’re rolling out the call option. I’d imagine the infrastructure to call with a code is more expensive than just spitting out a text.

 

[lan101]

How is that going to work? Are they going to port her number to a Spectrum Mobile cell phone? Otherwise you'd be porting the number away from Spectrum to a carrier (mobile or VoIP) where she can receive texts.

Yeah porting to spectrum mobile cell phone.

 

[callthatgirl]

My trending issues is people getting new phones and their 365 business accounts are MFA's on the old phones, or their app isn't working, or.....or...something else. 5 in the past few weeks, all have to go through the data protection team. None are locked out of email but can't get in the admin portal.

 

[Markverhyden]

That’s encouraging.

Maybe they’re only using it for situations like Mark’s or maybe they’re rolling out the call option. I’d imagine the infrastructure to call with a code is more expensive than just spitting out a text.

True. But lets remember that the call with code has been around for years. It's not like someone woke up like four weeks ago with the idea. It does require some extra equipment so it's does incur an extra cost. So I can see if it's for something that generates no revenue it might not be implemented. I do have it on several financial accounts.