Re: dumb++ security

From: Ross Oliver (reo@roscoe.airaffair.com)
Date: 02/23/02 

From: reo@roscoe.airaffair.com (Ross Oliver)
Date: 23 Feb 2002 01:32:49 GMT

David Means <dmeans-usenet@the-means.net> wrote:
>Encrypt the usernames/passwords using a strong encryption algorithm.
>Create a machine fingerprint and make the file unusable if the machine
>fingerprint doesn't match the one in the file.

Okay, I'll bite. How do you protect the encryption/decryption key?
It would appear to me that your method doesn't actually solve the
problem, just adds another layer. How does a "machine fingerprint"
(whatever that is) provide any protection? If I steal the data
from an encrypted file, the fingerprint doesn't change. Also, where
do you store this fingerprint?