[Discuss] A Little OT: The Password Post-It

[Richard Pieri]

On 4/20/2012 2:04 AM, Tom Metro wrote:
> Ummm...you lost me here. What are the "little things that they lose and
> break all the time?" Their phone?

Cell phones, key fobs, smart cards, the lot.  At a prior gig we got a 
chance to test out some "ruggedized" RSA tokens.  I had three users 
return theirs, irreparably broken, within a week.


> What are "the passwords needed to make those little things usable?" A
> password for the phone?

Yes.  Some kind of code or password that makes the device function as a 
security token such that simple theft doesn't completely compromise the 
security of the system.

> Bluetooth proximity is not dependent on the phone being password
> protected.

Then your system is no better than writing a password on a post-it note. 
  It's actually worse; a post-it note isn't likely to be dropped and 
broken, nor is it likely to run out of power and stop working.

-- 
Rich P.