What are the common techniques used to protect a password file?
Answers
The common techniques used to protect a password file are:
1. Use of hashed passwords - In this a variable-length password is taken and a cryptic, fixed-length password is created from it. This is done by generating and using a salt value.
2. Use access control systems - They require access approval, authorization identification, authentication, and accountability of entities through login credentials which include passwords, PINs or personal identification numbers, biometric scans, and electronic or physical keys.
Two common techniques to protect a password
file are- hashed passwords as well as a salt value or password file access
control.
# One way function:
The system stores only the value of the
function based on the
user's password. When the user presents a password, the
system transforms
that password and compares it with the stored value. In
practice, the system
usually performs a one way transformation .its means not reversible
in which the
password is used to generate a key for the one way function
and in which a
fixed length output is the produced.
# Access control:
The Access to the password file is limited to
one or a very few
accounts.