Linux-Hams archive - August 1998: Re: Password Security
Re: Password Security
Hamish Moffatt (cngruflq.fwvmc@mx.dy.fi)
Sat, 15 Aug 1998 01:47:44 +1000
On Fri, Aug 14, 1998 at 02:48:25PM +0300, Tomi Manninen wrote:
> > How is this any better than telnet?
>
> Using .rhosts or .shosts means you don't have to use any passwords. Just
> like in rlogin. If you set up rlogin with /etc/hosts.equiv or .rhosts
> file anyone can still fake your ip address but SSH always gives you RSA
> based _host_ authentication so this is more secure than rlogin (just make
> sure that rlogin, rsh & co. are disabled in inetd.conf). And of
> course better than telnet because there is no password to be sent in
> the clear.
>
> Anyway I use the RSA based user authentication option which I think is the
> best thing to do. With compression enabled it's almost usable over packet
> radio...
Even better, ssh allows RSA-based user authentication too.
Generate your local keys with ssh-keygen, and transfer your public key
to the other end on some secure channel. Then you can be authenticated
by keys alone. This is even more secure than .shosts is.
Hamish
--
Hamish Moffatt, StudIEAust nsb.dbxw@rele.tunk.net, aemuwy@stenaline.com
Student, computer science & computer systems engineering. 4th year, RMIT.
http://hamish.home.ml.org/ (PGP key here) CPOM: [******* ] 71%
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