No Plaintext Passwords

Compromise of a user password is one of the most difficult intrusions to detect. Historically it has been difficult or impossible to avoid transmission of passwords in the clear. But the technology now exists to make this possible, albeit not trivially. The San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) has managed to eliminate plaintext password transmission, while continuing to deliver services to a widely distributed user base. While it took some technical effort, overcoming the human hurdles proved to be more challenging. This article discusses what solutions we provided and how we managed to do it without annoying too many people. We have actually added value to the environment, instead of reducing it