Re: Security - ciphers - autentification

From: Lada 'Ray' Lostak (rayat_private)
Date: Wed Apr 17 2002 - 09:33:38 PDT

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    >Have you looked at the feasibility of using an established solution like
    >RSA SecurID instead of creating your own?
    Yes - but not soooooo into depth - just technical things. But many parts of
    this SW package is limited only to windows OS (big problem) - and I didn't
    find the price. Knows anyone ? Initially 1 server, ~300 users, ~100 devices.
    But I guess, it will be pretty expensive toy.
    
    >Are you really planning on building your own custom calculators and
    >encyption mechanisms?  Not only does this strike me as unsafe, but I
    >doubt it would be cost effective.
    Build custom hardware is pretty easy. You can buy piece of HW with
    display/keyboard. Enough is to insert CPU basically. Program should be verry
    simple, so, fast to develop (I guess ~5 days to implement some good
    cipher+dictionary based thing and other things - like communication). About
    security/safe. You are right. But I belive, we have enough
    resources/knowledge to build it quickly and secure. We allready made many
    other security based things, but for pretty different purposes. This is
    first time, when I am going to develop 'similar' thing like this one - that
    why I am writing this text anyway :) But it is not first time, when we are
    playing with hardware/design.
    
    So, build 'calculator' is the smallest problem in whole process. Really.
    
    Ofcourse, if there will be some good product, with resonable price, which
    will fit our (I think simple) needs, ... :o) Then I will for sure try/select
    it.
    
    We had to make our own 'busines solution' - and only because there weren't
    something, what fit our need. And if yes, then it requires Windows or
    something. And were big/slow/hard to use. We had to make own. And it were a
    lott of work. If you will compare work, which had to be putted into system
    with 'security' .... But it were still cheaper than 'buy' some big solution
    and let make some changes for us.
    
    
    I am not big fan of big and complicated system.
    
    >The only way I could see this as a reasonable approach is if you were
    >trying to come up with a sellable product that would compete with the
    >likes of RSA.  But it sounds like your product is the services on your
    >web site, not key tokens and safe crypto.
    If you develop SOME product, it can be divided into 4 periods:
    
    1. design
    2. creating
    3. prepare for distribution
    4. selling - create relevand distribute channels, make 'busines' around -
    promote, setup busines strategy/...
    
    From our experimence, I can say, that 1 and 2 is 40% of time. Next 60% takes
    these things - preparing product, etc etc. You can have WORKING product
    (well working) - but still 'far' from 'sellable' thing...
    
    Probably every bigger company have many 'internal' solutions, which are not
    selled at all. And we are not exception. For 'us' it will be verry nice
    price. If we will start selling, price will go up. Probably lees then
    gigants in security, but it can be 'compared'. And if you can compare price
    between 'big known security company' and 'hardware/network company', what
    you will select ?
    
    We builded own busines solution. But make from it sellable product, will
    cost MANY MANY next money (work). And question is: will someone else need
    what were good for us ?
    
    So, primary it is for internal solution, who knows if someone need similar
    SIMPLE thing....
    
    Best regards,
    Lada 'Ray' Lostak
    Unreal64 Develop group
    http://www.unreal64.net
    



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