From: ferguson@icm1.icp.net (Paul Ferguson)
Date: Thu, 6 Jan 94 16:30:13 PST
To: cfrye@ciis.mitre.org (Curtis D. Frye)
Subject: Re: U.S. Sprint Using SSN as Passcode?
In-Reply-To: <9401062224.AA25295@ciis.mitre.org>
Message-ID: <9401070028.AA20366@icm1.icp.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text




> As hinted in the title, the passcode is the customer's SSN plus one digit
> supplied by US Sprint.  Now all the bad guys need is a sharp set of ears or
> a microphone in the phone booth and they have us by the <insert name of
> whatever organs you hold near and dear to your heart>.  I hope this idiotic
> passcode scheme dies a quick, horrible death.  Maybe I misunderstood or the
> reporter got it wrong (a permutation on the SSN is little better, though),
> but I don't think so.
> 
> ObRant about the dangers of giving out one's SSN deleted for brevity.

I can, at least, assure you that we internet engineering types are not
as foolish as our voice counterparts. Also, marketing is an evil thing. 

ObCaveat: I speak for myself, my data brethren, and not for US Sprint.

____________________________________________________________________________
Paul Ferguson                         
Sprint Managed Router Network Engineering              tel: 703.904.2437 
Herndon, Virginia  USA                            internet: ferguson@icp.net