RE: storing SSNs, CCNs, password in the DB

[Jeff Robertson <Jeff.Robertson () DigitalInsight com>]

On the subject of MD5, isn't MD5 currently in better circumstances that
SHA-1, after this:

http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2005/02/sha1_broken.html


Jeff Robertson
Manager of Web Application Security
Digital Insight


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul Johnston [mailto:paul () westpoint ltd uk]
> Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 04:58
> To: Francesco
> Cc: webappsec () securityfocus com
> Subject: Re: storing SSNs, CCNs, password in the DB
>
>
> Hi,
>
> You may be able to steal a trick from unix password files and 
> site-step 
> the problem.
>
> Rather than storing those details, store a hash of them, 
> using a secure 
> hash algorithm. MD5 should be fine, despite the recent collision 
> weakness. This allows you to check the incoming details, but 
> an attacker 
> cannot easily reconstruct the details from the stored data.
>
> Regards,
>
> Paul
>
>
> Francesco wrote:
>
> > It's for a web-based financial application (users accessing 
> credit-card
> > transaction information, signing in with their card number, 
> PIN and last
> > 4 of SSN) so we pretty much *have* to have that information 
> in the DB to
> > compare at logon.
> >  
> -- 
> Paul Johnston, GSEC
> Internet Security Specialist
> Westpoint Limited
> Albion Wharf, 19 Albion Street,
> Manchester, M1 5LN
> England
> Tel: +44 (0)161 237 1028
> Fax: +44 (0)161 237 1031
> email: paul () westpoint ltd uk
> web: www.westpoint.ltd.uk