From: Charlie_Kaufman@iris.com
Date: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 07:02:21 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: lotus notes id file
Message-ID: <852566AB.00799CCF.00@arista.iris.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain




>    I'm using lotus notes and I have a big problem. I have a id file with
no
>password. How can I get a password for it or reset it. Is there some type
of
>utility or something someone knows of?I have been told that I'm out of
luck
>unless I have the original.

I assume you mean the ID file has a password, but that you have forgotten
it. Notes uses your password as an encryption key and encrypts the ID file.
There is no utility existing or possible that can reconstruct the ID file
without knowing the password. There is a company called AccessData
Corporation in Lindon, Utah that claims to have written a utility that will
do a brute force search guessing large numbers of passwords and trying to
verify each guess. If you have a vague recollection that you didn't pick
your password very carefully, they might be able to help you. I have no
experience with the company and have no idea what they charge, whether they
actually provide this service, or indeed whether they still exist.

Otherwise, your system administrator can create a new ID file for you. That
will work fine except that if you have any data encrypted under your key
(e.g. you received any encrypted email), that data is forever lost. Notes
System Administrators at sites where people use encryption are strongly
encouraged to have a backup strategy for archiving ID files for just this
eventuality. You might ask whether he did so, and encourage him to do so in
the future if not.

[Note: the tradeoff between protecting the privacy of employees from nosy
system administrators and bailing them out when they forget their passwords
is a sensitive one. People have strong opposing views on what's "right".]

Good luck.

     --Charlie Kaufman