Entropy and DSA key

Damien Miller djm at mindrot.org
Wed Nov 7 11:51:45 EST 2001


On Tue, 6 Nov 2001, Ed Phillips wrote:

> > I don't buy that argument.  If somebody has the ability to steal your
> > seed-save file, that means your system has already been compromised so I
> > don't see the point of trying to secure it further, certainly not at such a
> > high cost of time spent on every ssh client startup.  I think the only
> > thing to worry about is an external attacker.
> 
> Well put.  I agree.  Sometimes, in all the security "hub-bub" I think
> people fail to realize some of these simple things.  For anyone who has
> slower, older systems to support (we only have approximately 100 Suns
> ranging from SS1+ to 6800), the fact that ssh takes 2 minutes instead of 5
> seconds has immense system administrative ramifications.  For example, if
> you want to change the root password on every system - get ready to spend
> the whole weekend...

Crap - you can use PRNGd and not have any problem at all. That is why 
it is RECOMMENDED.

-d

-- 
| By convention there is color,       \\ Damien Miller <djm at mindrot.org>
| By convention sweetness, By convention bitterness, \\ www.mindrot.org
| But in reality there are atoms and space - Democritus (c. 400 BCE)




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