On Fri, 11 Jun 1999, Dave McConnell wrote:

# 
# The "hash seed" and public/private key pairs (used to 
# validate/generate signatures) could be kept on an external token 
# such as a smartcard. The user removes the token when not at the 
# workstation. Smartcards are relatively cheap and simple to use.

"ick".  If necessary, then so, but..."ick".

# Access control is also an issue. Its no use validating binaries when 
# someone has managed to get hold of the root password, or reboots 
# your system off a diskette and then has access to your filesystem 
# to replace the kernel without your knowledge.

The fact that they'd be able to reboot is pretty much a red flag in
itself.

# No security system is ever 100%. How much money and effort you 
# expend securing your system is proportional to what your threat is 
# and the cost of a compromise. 

It's closer to an exponential (and thus assymptotic) curve, but yes, it's a
direct proportion as opposed to an inverse one.

				--*greywolf;
--
NetBSD: more is more.