[Tfug] Why would *anyone* leave a door open?

[Jordan Aberle]

It will be nice when we can access all of our stuff with a fingerprint / eye
scan / blood sample combination.  Nothing like getting pricked by a needle
to check my email. mmm

On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 12:09 PM, John Gruenenfelder
<johng at as.arizona.edu>wrote:

> On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 11:34:11AM -0700, Bexley Hall wrote:
> >I have probably a dozen machines that I use on a regular basis.
> >That doesn't count other online accounts, etc.  (note that I
> >have *no* online banking, credit card, utility, etc. accounts
> >which would only add to the number of "secrets")  I don't have
> >duplicate passwords.  All of them contain nonalphanumeric
> >charactes, etc.  And none are "written down".  Great!  *But*,
> >relying on brute force memory means I simply can't afford to
> >change them often!  So, regardless of how many of the "right"
> >things I do, I can't do *all* of them (without resorting to
> >pen and paper, etc.)
>
> I'm not nearly as secure or methodical about my passwords as that... though
> I
> suppose I should try a little harder.
>
> Still, I tend to have lots of Net accounts spread all over the place for
> various functions.  Even when using duplicate passwords (sometimes), one of
> my
> biggest problems is remembering just what the hell my user name is on
> system/site X.  The bigger the Net, the larger the number of sites and
> users,
> the bigger the problem of getting something unique that *you* want (because
> you'll be more likely to remember it).
>
> So, I've finally resorted to storing all this critical information in a
> text
> file on my file server.
>
> But... I keep my home directory on an encrypted filesystem with a lengthy
> and
> unique passphrase.  That means that every time the machine boots it is
> unaccessible until I log in, become root, and run my mount script which
> does
> all the setup and unlocks/mounts the thing.
>
> I find this to be a useful setup.  I can keep all my important data on the
> encrypted filesystem and be relatively sure about its safety.  Having only
> my
> home directory encrypted also means that the machine can boot on its own
> (unlike my laptop which is fully encrypted and needs the passphrase just to
> boot).  Useful for when I need to remotely reboot it.
>
> Of course, I typically keep the thing unlocked and mounted the whole time
> the
> machine is on, so if somebody was able to break in via the Net they could
> get
> it.  But it's plenty sufficient for somebody with physical access.
>
>
> --
> --John Gruenenfelder    Systems Manager, MKS Imaging Technology, LLC.
> Try Weasel Reader for PalmOS  --  http://weaselreader.org
> "This is the most fun I've had without being drenched in the blood
> of my enemies!"
>        --Sam of Sam & Max
>
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