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andrewducker ([personal profile] andrewducker) wrote2015-07-27 12:03 pm
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birguslatro: Birgus Latro III icon (Default)

[personal profile] birguslatro 2015-08-01 07:29 am (UTC)(link)
I'm in two minds about password managers. I know they'll do a better job than a human, but what if your laptop or whatever gets stolen - or is accessed while you're away for ten minutes?
andrewducker: (Default)

[personal profile] andrewducker 2015-08-01 01:45 pm (UTC)(link)
At my work it's an offence to not lock your laptop if you step away from it...
birguslatro: Birgus Latro III icon (Default)

[personal profile] birguslatro 2015-08-01 07:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Well yes, but what about at home?

It's obviously easier to break one laptop password on a machine you've stolen than that password + X hundred web passwords.

Having your device stolen isn't the worst thing digitally that could happen to you.
andrewducker: (Default)

[personal profile] andrewducker 2015-08-01 07:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Absolutely.

But the alternative is to either have your passwords be memorable (and mostly the same, unless you can remember dozens of passwords).

Having a bunch of different passwords, all kept behind one very secure one that you use nowhere else, strikes me as better than that.
birguslatro: Birgus Latro III icon (Default)

[personal profile] birguslatro 2015-08-01 08:06 pm (UTC)(link)
That approach would only work if your OS is as secure as your password... :)
andrewducker: (Default)

[personal profile] andrewducker 2015-08-01 08:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Why?

Password Managers encrypt all of your passwords, so you have to get through its password before you have access to anything.
birguslatro: Birgus Latro III icon (Default)

[personal profile] birguslatro 2015-08-01 09:51 pm (UTC)(link)
If you could bypass the OS's password because the OS is broke, all those accounts behind the password manager would become accessible.

I've never forgotten my OS's password, but people must forget them, right? I very much doubt that totally bricks a device, which suggests there's a way in for technical types to reset the password when the forgetful take their devices in to be put right again.
andrewducker: (Default)

[personal profile] andrewducker 2015-08-01 09:53 pm (UTC)(link)
"If you could bypass the OS's password because the OS is broke, all those accounts behind the password manager would become accessible."

No, because the passwords are encrypted by the password manager.

"I've never forgotten my OS's password, but people must forget them, right? I very much doubt that totally bricks a device, which suggests there's a way in for technical types to reset the password when the forgetful take their devices in to be put right again."

With centrally controlled systems, yes. Because they had admin rights to the authentication servers. For your home PC? You're into a reinstall situation.

Edit: And in any case, getting past the OS wouldn't give you access to the passwords, as the Passwords Manager won't let you in!
Edited 2015-08-01 21:54 (UTC)
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