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XP password login "key" on USB flash drive?


spinjector

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I was wondering if anyone's had experience with these pieces of software that can store your Windows XP login passwords on a USB flash drive?

Any suggestions on which of them are good?

Do they come with their own GINA? How is the security reliability?

I like the idea of creating an actual "key" for my users that they have to stick into the computer to make it go.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was wondering if anyone's had experience with these pieces of software that can store your Windows XP login passwords on a USB flash drive?

Any suggestions on which of them are good?

Do they come with their own GINA? How is the security reliability?

I like the idea of creating an actual "key" for my users that they have to stick into the computer to make it go.

A rather late reply to this. Far better is the use of a smart card, this is in wide use by the US military, has encryption certificates on board as well as other info. Shove it into the keyboard slot and login with a PIN. Email is automatically authenticated. Best of all, MS has already written the APIs for support. The slot has read-only capability, so USB ports can be disabled, closes that security hole. Downside is cost and upkeep. Somebody will always lose their card, so someone has to be detailed to maintain the card database and issue/reissue cards. You'd have the same problem with USB dongles, too. Cards are easier to store in wallets than dongles, though. Actual passwords on a dongle is a bad idea, an outsider finding such now has the keys to the castle.

Stan

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A rather late reply to this. Far better is the use of a smart card, this is in wide use by the US military, has encryption certificates on board as well as other info. Shove it into the keyboard slot and login with a PIN. Email is automatically authenticated. Best of all, MS has already written the APIs for support. The slot has read-only capability, so USB ports can be disabled, closes that security hole. Downside is cost and upkeep. Somebody will always lose their card, so someone has to be detailed to maintain the card database and issue/reissue cards. You'd have the same problem with USB dongles, too. Cards are easier to store in wallets than dongles, though. Actual passwords on a dongle is a bad idea, an outsider finding such now has the keys to the castle.

Stan

Hmmm thanks you raise some good points. I've actually been thinking about fingerprint scanners. If someone loses their fingerprint, they prolly won't be needing to use their computer for a while. =-)

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