Article View: sci.crypt
Article #2981authentication tokens
From: John Wack
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 14:33
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 14:33
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2152 bytes
I've got a question for the net.wisdom out there. We're currently using some challenge - response authentication tokens on our Interneted host. I've decided to stick with the same vendor and order their newer tokens, which display only one-time passwords - no challenge from the host, you just type in the password generated by the token. To keep the host system's software and the token in sync, some sort of event-synchronous method is used. This, of course, has some disadvantages if the token gets out of sync, because the host has to either look ahead or look back to resynchronize. Disadvantages, however, only if this is awkward for the user or presents big vulnerabilities. Another vendor offers a similar one-time password card that is synchronized with the host based on time. This also has problems if clocks drift, and has some problems associated with it as well if this happens. I've already decided to use the first vendor, since their system permits other brands of tokens as well as their own, which is important to us. But I'm wondering whether there are significant advantages/disadvantages to either method of keeping the tokens and host in sync - i.e., is one method inherently more secure than the other? I've spoken to some of the folks in our cryptography group about this, and they seem to say that both methods have their drawbacks, but if they both are implemented well, one is no better than the other. I guess "implemented well" means the token requiring a pin and a narrow look-ahead/behind window when out of sync, among other factors. Would anyone knowledgeable about this care to comment on the above? I'd be more than interested if there are real differences in security between the two methods. Regards, John Wack
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Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!sparky!uunet!dove!ariel.ncsl.nist.gov!wack From: wack@ariel.ncsl.nist.gov (John Wack) Newsgroups: sci.crypt,alt.security.pgp Subject: authentication tokens Message-ID: <8345@dove.nist.gov> Date: 28 Jan 93 14:33:02 GMT Sender: news@dove.nist.gov Followup-To: sci.crypt Organization: National Institute of Standards & Technology Lines: 34