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From: calvin@tcom.stc.co.uk (Calvin Sambrook)
Newsgroups: sci.crypt
Subject: Re: DES info wanted
Message-ID: <1277@bute.tcom.stc.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 11-May-87 09:37:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: bute.1277
Posted: Mon May 11 09:37:35 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 15-May-87 01:32:42 EDT
References: <2071@hoptoad.uucp> <599@umnd-cs.D.UMN.EDU> <5747@eddie.MIT.EDU> <3761@oddjob.UChicago.EDU> <1072@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU>
Reply-To: calvin@stc.UUCP (Calvin Sambrook)
Distribution: world
Organization: STC Telecoms, London N11 1HB.
Lines: 37

In article <1072@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU> simsong@media-lab.MEDIA.MIT.EDU (Simson L. Garfinkel) writes:
>I believe that there are currently several distinct systems used for
>verification of PINs. Some of them involve remote verification. Some of them
>involve storing encrypted PINs on the cards. Some of them involve storing
>non-encrypted PINs on the cards (indeed, most of the early systems come
>under this last catagory.)
>
>For obvious reasons, companies who issue these things are very reluctant to
>dispence corect information. I've asked people at my bank on several occasions
>and received several different answers.


In 1984 some friends of mine built a card reader as part of thier lab work
for thier BSc in computer systems.  They used only commercially available
components and freely available information.

Imagine my horror (along with others in our lab group) when they demonstrated
thier ability to read our account and PIN numbers directly off our cards !

The reader (which they disassembled after their work had been assessed) cost
them just under 150 pounds (sterling) to build and was powered from 12V d.c.
I would imagine that any enterprising card thief could make a device like this
pay for itself in just a few hours.

I certainly learned a lesson from this and as well as keeping my plastic
very safe now I also check my bank statements *very* carefully !

It makes me wonder just how much money the banks lose each day...


--
calvin
-- 
--
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