Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2001 01:46:57 -0600 (CST) From: Frank Tobin <ftobin@uiuc.edu> To: <freebsd-security@freebsd.org> Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.4.31.0101140146280.41470-100000@palanthas.neverending.org>
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Crist J. Clark, at 16:50 -0800 on Sat, 13 Jan 2001, wrote:
I am not sure I understand your argument here. I your system, how does
the _user_ authenticate himself? Biometrics? HW token? Smart card?
Really, no passwords?
Public-key authentications exist in such implementations such as ssh RSA
authentication. In general, they involve the user signing or decrypting
certain data.
Peter Chiu is correct in stating that there is a central point of
vulnerability when it comes to using public key authentication. Of
course, the user is under no obligation to use the same keypair for all
systems used. Also, the decision of how many sites the user uses a
particular keypair for, and whether or not to encrypt the keypair locally
is entirely up to the user (a good thing).
One key idea is to leave the strength of the security as much up to the
user as possible. With passwords, however, the user has to worry about
both ends being compromoised (his end, and the server's end); if the
server is compromised, and his password gotten, this might be used against
him other places. With public-key authentication, he only has to worry
about his end; if the server's end is compromised, the user's security is
compromised little.
--
Frank Tobin http://www.uiuc.edu/~ftobin/
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