[Gllug] USB Securikey

[Tethys]

Axel Segebrecht writes:

>Just wondering who (if anyone) ever used this:
>http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/security/5cd6/
>
>...or something similar?
>
>I think it's a cool thing but way to expensive. Maybe one can just get a 
>small USB memory stick and put some form of cleverness onto it that 
>authenticates people.

Very expensive, and no details about algorithms, or anything that
explains *how* it authenticates you to the OS. Incidentally, we've
just had to switch to a two step authentication mechanism at work.

We initially looked at SecureID, but in the end, the solution we
went with was a 20 line shell script I wrote instead :-) Basically,
your login shell is now a script that generated a random one time
password. This is then sent to your mobile phone via SMS, and if
you can't type in the second password, you don't get in.

This give two factor authentication -- something you know (your
normal username/password combination), and something you have (a
mobile phone that can receive SMS message sent to a given number
that's been preconfigured on the server).

Seems to work pretty well so far...

Tet

-- 
Gllug mailing list  -  Gllug at linux.co.uk
http://list.ftech.net/mailman/listinfo/gllug