RE: Recent bugtraq postings

> From: John Earl
> 
> NOT!
> 
> The vast majority of people synchronize (either automatically or
> manually) their passwords across similar systems, so if you are able
to
> compromise a password on one system, chances are that password will
work
> on many others.

So?  Using the same password for different security domains is a bad
practice.  So is using a three-letter password.  So is using your
birthdate.  I consider logging on to my LAN a different security domain
than logging on to my production server.

But that's just me.  The server-farm people have forced the single
sign-on issue down our throats because there are LOTS of machines to log
on to.  But system-wide single sign-on is throwing out the baby with the
bathwater for me.  Personally, I have no problem telling a user they
have one sign-on to access their e-mail and another one to update
mission critical production data.


> Real single signon, where the user only has one password that is
> authenticated against one system, provides no additional exposure, and
> in fact limits the number of potential points of compromise.

Again, in my opinion providing a single access point to all security
domains is a bad idea.

Joe