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strange(at)cultural.comNotes on Technical Means of Protecting Information Access control (to data and systems) Authentication User identification PLUS Passwords Digital certificates "One-time" password systems "Software" Tokens Hardware Tokens Biometrics Geographic locality CHART Auth type Provides --------- -------- User/pass Certs Softtoken hardtoken biometrics geographic locality true smartcard Authentication Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Non-repeatable N Y* Y* Y* N N Y Copy-protection N N N Y N* Y* Y Sniff-proof N Y Y Y N* N* Y IDs PERSON N N N N/Y Y N N/Y CryptoKey N Y N N N* N N * == Depends on implementation (may depend on combination with other means) Biometrics issues and misunderstandings (marketing) Goal is to just do what we do in person and be ASSURED it is so-and-so. Brings us back to the disguize game without the social eng. side. Transportation of ID is problem usually solved by something that winds up treating the biometric as a password Local authentication stores are OK Ex: bio reader to get into your laptop BUT NOT: bio reader to log into network Geographically-fixed readers are OK Ex: bio door access BUT NOT: bio access to data stores from remote site When remote is good, biometrics just become a fixed password inside a better auth system How to revoke if compromised? How many fingerprints to use with how many companies? Irises? NB also recent fingerprint revelation Digitial certificate issues and misunderstandings (legal AND marketing) Legal idea that it's a signature Better to consider it a rubber-stamp signature If certificate gets out of user's control, then it's just a BIG password protected by a small password Storage and central verification and REVOKATION are huge issues that require a lot of planning Authorization Authentication PLUS Rights lists by user by group by target Data typing by value by secrecy System typing by criticality by purpose Accounting Authentication success and failure Repeated failures Source of authentication/attempt Resources accessed with rights Resource access attempted beyond rights Actions taken with resources Logoff Encryption as access control Rights based on having the key Auditing not really possible Data Integrity Checksums Depending on type, can be defeated Encryption as integrity check May both identify the user (to degree possible) and validate the data is what the user signed Data Destruction Backups RAID arrays Distribited data