ErrorTolerant Password Recovery
Summary:
Human memory is in a constant state of flux: Every day we memorize new facts and forget old ones. This is normal and unavoidable, but can sometimes have untoward con- sequences. If we forget a password that has been used to encrypt important data, the data may be lost. Forgotten
passwords are in fact one of the most common problems confronting IT help-desks. This has prompted the creation of a number of di®erent systems for password recovery. The aim of these systems is to provide reliable secondary means for legitimate users to recover lost passwords, without significantly increasing the vulnerability against attackers.
Traditional methods of password recovery rely on the use of trusted third parties. Web sites typically let a site administrator, a helpdesk employee, or an automatic script e-mail the forgotten password to the user upon request (often in the clear). Alternatively, a lost password might be provided by telephone upon presentation of some identifying information, such as the user's Social Security Number.
A more sophisticated, but less common technique is to use secret sharing [2, 11]. The password is divided into n shares in such a way that for reconstruction of the password it is necessary and sufficient to collect of these shares. The n shares are distributed among entities trusted by the user.
Format:
Pages : 9
Size: 143 kb
Author : Niklas Frykholm and Ari Juels
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ErrorTolerant Password Recovery