QUESTION:

What are challenge questions?

ANSWER:

The College now requires all students to pick five questions that the SMC SIGNON "PortalGuard" Account Management system can ask you if you ever forget your SMC password.

The questions are on a list at Security Questions So, you pick five questions. You type in the answers when you first "activate" your account on the system. The computer will remember your answers.

These questions and their answers are called "challenge questions." This prompt happens because the computer will "challenge" you to answer them if you want to do anything that requires high security to protect your privacy. For example, students' most common high-security action is getting a new password when the old one is forgotten.

You can "activate" your account on the SMC SIGNON "PortalGuard" Account Management system by following instructions, with an optional video, on the web page at Activate My Account