Re: Good design for a Algorithmically Derived Passphrase for FDE (?!)

[Ansgar -59cobalt- Wiechers <bugtraq () planetcobalt net>]

On 2007-11-18 ManInWhite wrote:
> I have been tasked with deploying partition based encryption for our
> fleet of laptops.
>
> It has been suggested that we use an algorithm derived passphrase
> based on some unique hardware number. [ HDD Serial# / Laptop Serial# ]

Then your security would depend on the attacker not knowing the
algorithm for deriving the passphrase from the serial numbers (which
will be known to him once he has access to the hardware).

Bad idea. Don't do that.

The only good design for algorithmically derived passphrases is not to
have algorithmically derived passphrases.

Regards
Ansgar Wiechers
-- 
"All vulnerabilities deserve a public fear period prior to patches
becoming available."
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