It’s been a while since I’ve had to type in some stupid answer to a made-up question when creating an account on a new service. You know what I’m talking about: Forget your password, and you can regain access to your account by typing in the name of your first pet (Mr Mrglglrm), your favourite sports team (Saskatoon Sirens), or the street you grew up on (Third Street).

In this week’s tech-support column, I’m taking on an uncomfortable issue: How to regain control of your accounts from a not-so-kind ex. I’m hoping your former loved one isn’t a complete psychopath — or, at least, isn’t a psychopath that has access to your accounts — but it’s an all-too-familiar story. You live with someone, you share your hopes and your dreams, and they find a way to get into your accounts. (That, or you share login credentials, which is a pretty bad idea, too.)

There are a number of different ways to unlock an Android smartphone or tablet. In fact, you probably have a favourite one you’ve been using for as long as you’ve owned your device. We’re all creatures of habit, but you might want to consider other unlocking methods that might be more secure, convenient, or expedient.

I remember all the hubbub when Apple first announced Face ID back in September of 2017. There were countless articles and thought pieces criticising Apple for the terrible experience its new security technique was about to create. Instead of just pressing on your iPhone’s Home button, a natural task as you pull your iPhone out of your pants pocket, jacket, or bag, you’d have to pull your device up to eye level, stare at it, and then go about using it as normal.

Mac: While most people set up their Macs so all they need is a password, or a finger-press, to authenticate into their machines, the computer your company gives you might be a little more strict. Instead of letting you save your login name or display a list of your system’s users to pick, for example, you might have to actually type in your account name and password.

Mac: It's been a few years since we've seen AgileBits release a major update to its killer password management app, 1Password, which is why everyone's so excited about last week's debut of 1Password 7. This app should pretty much be a household name at this point, as it's one of the major password managers we recommend to create and store super-secure passwords and passphrases.

Uppercase, lowercase, number, symbol - it's the mantra repeated over and over by IT admins when they set password rules. Throw in the requirement to change those passwords every 30 days or so, and not repeat an old password or even have characters in the same place over some arbitrary cycle and you suddenly have a complex set of rules that makes life really hard for users. And the guy who penned many of these rules, Bill Burr from NIST, says he screwed up.

LastPass is one of the most prominent password managers around. It's extremely convenient but if it were hacked, it would be quite the pain in the arse for users. In a blog post, the company has warned that a major exploit has been discovered and outlined what action users should take immediately.

Smartphone operating systems generally offer four ways for users to protect their devices: pin codes, patterns, passwords and fingerprint verification. But which one is the most effective when it comes to warding off unwanted individuals from accessing your smartphone? Let's find out.

"123456" is still the most common password that is used online. That's despite numerous security experts warning against using simple passwords.

Make it stop. We have some advice for people who are too lazy to think up secure passwords.

May 5th is global World Password Day which aims to promote good password habits. According to Intel, Australians have an average of 26 different personal and business-related accounts that use passwords. That's a lot of passwords to remember. The vendor has some tips on how stay on top of your password security.