Passwords and Exobytes

[Michael McClary <michael>]

Found on alt.security:

===========================
Article 195 of alt.security:
[]
Reply-To: shipley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Pete Shipley)
[]

Yet another similar strategy is to cache the data generated from
encryping the given keyspace.  This will require several tarabytes
of storage along with some form of indexing system to speed access
time.  Again the resorces needed are a bit outragous.

What I have found most effective is the use of a caching method on
a dictionary of common words and passwords, thus the storage needed
it redued to a few gigabytes (including an indexing system).

As you may have guessed by now I have implemented such a system
(no I am not going to post it, yet).   The media I use to store
the data on are two 8mm exabyte tape (approximatly two gigabytes
each).  Currently I have only tested this system with a small
password list approximatly 1300 words, and have had up to a %23
hit rate.  The scary part is that is takes about 2 to 3 hours to
a given password list against a dictionary (note that the time to
check does not increase noticeably as the size of the unknown
password list increases).  A full dictionary, mine is currently
54729 words, will fill about a tape and a half and will take
approximatly 5 hours to scan through.

====================

Wonder how many Exobyte drives this will sell?

	michael