Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!mailrus!cornell!rochester!rit!ultb!jal3495
From: jal3495@ultb.UUCP (Jeff Leyser)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: Password security - Another idea
Message-ID: <274@ultb.UUCP>
Date: 3 Jan 89 19:32:45 GMT
References: <228@sea375.UUCP> <4497@xenna.Encore.COM>
Reply-To: jal3495@ultb.UUCP (Jeff Leyser)
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology (Info Systems)
Lines: 32

In post <4497@xenna.Encore.COM>, bzs@Encore.COM (Barry Shein) says:
!>I think this would be more secure than current password file or the shadow
!>password file. Any comments?
!
!Yes, somewhere and at some time we are going to have to do the hard
!work of analyzing whether or not hiding encryptions improves security
!as a general principle (as opposed to coming up with new ways to hide
!them before doing the ground work.)
!
!Hiding something indicates that it is dangerous if revealed. It says,
!basically, that encryption technology is inadequate and cannot be made
!to work, the only reasonable protection is secrecy. Do we honestly
!believe this?
!	-Barry Shein, ||Encore||

The encryption techology currently used is adequate.  What is not
adequate are the users.  The recent Internet worm proves this.
The author of the worm didn't really 'break' the encryption on
passwords, he just looked for 'obvious' passwords, and he found more
than a few.

As we all know, this has prompted endless discussion on the best way to
get users to avoid 'obvious' passwords.  But, in all practicality,
this may be next to impossible.  So, either instead or in tandem, we
_do_ need to take a good hard look at the current practice of Unix
passwords being world readable.  Frankly, if it comes down to a choice
between changing technology and changing human behavior, I'll change the
technology.
-- 
Jeff Leyser, Professional Student           {WCS}!rochester!ritcv!ultb!jal3495
                 a[b] == b[a] -- The Ultimate in Job Security 
        I can't have opinions, I didn't pay my opinion fee this term.