KEY

Section: User Commands (1)
Updated: 28 October 1993
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NAME

S/key - A proceedure to use one time passwords for accessing computer systems.  

DESCRIPTION

S/key is a proceedure for using one time password to authenticate access to compter systems. It uses 64 bits of information transformed by the MD4 algorithm. The user supplies the 64 bits in the form of 6 English words that are generated by a secure computer. Example use of the S/key program key


  Usage example:


        >key  99 th91334


        Enter password: <your secret password is intered here>


        OMEN US HORN OMIT BACK AHOY


        >

The programs that are part of the S/Key system are keyinit, key, and keyinfo. Keyinit is used to get your ID set up, key is used to get the one time password each time, keyinfo is used to extract information from the S/Key database.

When you run "keyinit" you inform the system of your secret password. Running "key" then generates the one-time passwords, and also requires your secret password. If however, you misspell your password while running "key", you will get a list of passwords that will not work, and no indication about the problem.

Password sequence numbers count backward from 99. If you don't know this, the syntax for "key" will be confusing.

You can enter the passwords using small letters, even though the "key" program gives them in caps.

Macintosh and a general purpose PC use are available.

 

SEE ALSO

keyinit(1), key(1), keyinfo(1)  

AUTHOR

Phil Karn, Neil M. Haller, John S. Walden, Scott Chasin


 

Index

NAME
DESCRIPTION
SEE ALSO
AUTHOR

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