RE: [ILUG] Password management

From: John_White at domain dell.com
Date: Tue 12 Oct 1999 - 14:48:56 IST


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 domain bluetree.ie]
Sent: 12 October 1999 14:12
To: 'ilug at domain 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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