On May 15, 2011, at 4:56 PM, Tracy Reed wrote:

> They are even an e-commerce shop so credit card data is involved. I am
> working on getting this changed but they have been told "never write down
> passwords." so there has been resistence.

What about an investment in two-factor authentication?  It adds a layer of 
security that should probably exist around credit card data anyhow, and it 
solves the problem with password memory - all the user has to remember is a 
short PIN code or passphrase which they combine with the current code from 
their token.  And even if they write their PIN down, it's useless without the 
physical token (or app on their phone).

Users would get root either via two-factor to their own account and then sudo, 
or perhaps two-factor directly to root via PAM.  In case of a problem with the 
two-factor system, you'd still keep root passwords in place, but you could make 
them nice and long and unguessable because they'd only have to live in an 
envelope in a safe.

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