[ILUG] Password management

[John_White at dell.com]

What about the Star Trek approach . . . . 

A sensitive piece of data is protected by 5 passwords,
any 3 of which will allow access.

Anyone know of a real world implementation of this ?


-----Original Message-----
From: Kenn Humborg [mailto:kenn at bluetree.ie]
Sent: 12 October 1999 14:12
To: 'ilug at linux.ie'
Subject: [ILUG] Password management



As networks grow, the number of passwords you have to 
remember grows too.  Also, having them all in one person's
head results in a single-point-of-failure (aka. the hit-by-a-bus
problem).

A bit of discussion here led to a proposal where individual 
passwords are written down in sealed, tamper-proof envolopes 
and stored in a fairly secure place.  This allows for:

1. Evidence of someone opening an envelope, thus triggering
   the 'change that password' procedure.
2. Ability to retrieve a single password without compromising
   all the other passwords.

Does anyone know of any solid advice on this sort of thing?
All the bloody user-oriented password advice (pick a good 
password and don't write it down) is completely useless
in this situation.  Surely larger companies have established
systems and procedures for this.

Later,
Kenn



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