Create Security Questions in PGP Desktop

Products

• Symantec Products

Issue/Introduction

This article details how to create security questions in PGP Desktop for key reconstruction. This feature is available in PGP Desktop 9.7 and above.

Resolution

The following document details the process to create Security Questions in PGP Desktop. PGP Desktop version 9.7 includes the ability to reconstruct your PGP Key by answering the security questions which you have created within PGP Desktop.

The PGP Security Question Assistant requires you to create 5 security questions and answers. When utilizing the key reconstruction feature, you will need to answer 3 of the 5 security questions.

Please use the following steps to create the security questions in PGP Desktop.

1. In PGP Desktop, click the PGP Keys Control box.
2. Select Keys>Create My Security Questions. The PGP Security Question Assistant is displayed.
3. Enter the passphrase for your key and click Next. The Create Security Question 1 of 5 dialog box is displayed.
4. In the first Create Security Question screen, click the arrow for the first field to select the question you want to use. Note that you can customize parts of the question in the next step.
5. For Personalize Your Question, click the arrows next to any of the text that you can customize. For example, if you selected the first question, you can customize that question by changing friend to boy and had a crush on to held hands with. If you chose to create your own question, enter the question in this field. Be sure to enter a question that only you can know the answer to.
6. For Answer Your Question, enter the answer to this security question. You can enter the answer using mixed upper- and lowercase letters, or use all one case (when you answer the question, the case won't matter). A hint is displayed in this field that disappears once you start entering the answer. For example, to answer the question Who was the first boy that I ever held hands with?, the hint is Enter first and last name.
7. When you have defined your question and entered the answer, click Next to continue. The Create Security Question 2 of 5 dialog box is displayed.
8. You are prompted to create and answer a total of five security questions. Continue to follow the steps above to select the question, customize the question, and answer the question. When you have entered all five questions and answers, the Completing the PGP Security Question Assistant screen is displayed.
9. Click Finish to exit the assistant.