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Definition
Security questions are a form of knowledge-based authentication used to confirm a user’s identity. During account setup, users select or create questions with personal answers—such as “What is your mother’s maiden name?” or “What was your first pet’s name?”—that they must later provide correctly to verify access.

Why it matters
Security questions offer an extra layer of identity verification, especially during password recovery or when unusual login activity is detected. However, they are considered less secure than modern authentication methods, as the answers can often be guessed or found through social engineering.

Example use case
A user forgets their password and is asked to answer a previously chosen security question. Upon correctly answering “What was the name of your elementary school?”, they are granted access to reset their login credentials.