With a BlackBerry at IU, what is the Secret Question ID Verification service?

Note: Once you have followed the instructions in this document to set up answers to your secret questions, if you ever lose your BlackBerry or forget your password, see With a BlackBerry at IU, what should I do if I lose my device or forget my password?

At Indiana University, the Secret Question ID Verification service allows UITS consultants to verify the identity of BlackBerry users who need their passwords reset while out of town; it also provides a secure way of communicating passwords to users.

You can fill out the Secret Question ID Verification questionnaire at:

This questionnaire contains questions that presumably only you can answer. You are under no obligation to reveal personal information in your answers; you can even give incorrect answers on purpose, as long as you remember what you entered.

After using this information to verify your identity, the consultant can request that the BES administrator set a password constructed from your answers. The consultant will then be able to inform you what the password is without directly stating it (e.g., "Your password will be the first three letters of your father's middle name plus the first four letters of your favorite pet's name").

As long as your device is turned on and is in range of the cellular network, the BES administrator can reset its password wirelessly. You can then enter the new password if you were locked out or if you recover your lost device. The new password will also protect the data on a lost BlackBerry.

How to set up your answers to the Secret Questions

1. Go to the Secret Question ID Verification page at: https://accountmgmt.exchange.iu.edu/SecretQuestions/ Log in with your IU username and password.
   
   
2. Select the questions you want to answer from the drop-down lists on the left.
   
   
3. Enter your answers in the fields on the right, keeping these limitations in mind:
   
   
   • The maximum password length the BlackBerry can handle is 14 characters.
     
     
   • The BlackBerry keyboard cannot reproduce the same range of characters a full keyboard can, so avoid symbols like the ampersand (&), tilde (~), or percent sign (%).
     
     
   As long as you follow these guidelines, the answers can be anything you feel sure you will remember.
   
   
4. Click Save Answers at the bottom of the page.

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