At 11:41 AM 10/2/2001, Bill Stewart wrote: >At 07:23 PM 10/02/2001 +0300, Sampo Syreeni wrote: >>Or integrate some computing power into those IBM thingies, and use >>remotely keyed encryption. Enough power is available through USB so that >>you don't have to end up with battery power. > >Sounds like you're starting to reinvent the I-Button. >(Dallas semiconductor's product - uses a small computer chip >and an infrared link attached to a watch battery.)
Or the iKey which is pretty much exactly what you're describing -- smart card-like crypto functions and key storage that plugs right into a USB socket. Given that just about everything has USB now, these seem a lot more practical than smart cards, which require the purchase of an interface device. >If your threat model includes people rifling through your office >looking for stuff, you're probably toast anyway, Either you have to be compulsive about carrying the key-holder, whether it be smart card, iButton, iKey, or whatever, or you have to incorporate memorized safe combinations, er, passwords. It's like the way that every key in a typical office is usually on a ring in the secretary's unlocked desk drawer, which is why safes have combination locks instead of keys. Of course, then you have to contend with the compulsion to write the secret down so you don't forget it, and you're back where you started... Rick. [EMAIL PROTECTED] roseville, minnesota "Authentication" coming in October http://www.visi.com/crypto/ --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Cryptography Mailing List Unsubscribe by sending "unsubscribe cryptography" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
