Answer Posted / ramkumar
Private keys must be stored securely, since forgery and
loss of privacy could result from compromise (see Question
4.1.3.7). The measures taken to protect a private key must
be at least equal to the required security of the messages
encrypted with that key. In general, a private key should
never be stored anywhere in plaintext form. The simplest
storage mechanism is to encrypt a private key under a
password and store the result on a disk. However, passwords
are sometimes very easily guessed; when this scheme is
followed, a password should be chosen very carefully since
the security is tied directly to the password.
Storing the encrypted key on a disk that is not accessible
through a computer network, such as a floppy disk or a
local hard disk, will make some attacks more difficult. It
might be best to store the key in a computer that is not
accessible to other users or on removable media the user
can remove and take with her when she has finished using a
particular computer. Private keys may also be stored on
portable hardware, such as a smart card. Users with
extremely high security needs, such as certifying
authorities, should use tamper-resistant devices to protect
their private keys (see Question 4.1.3.13).
| Is This Answer Correct ? | 0 Yes | 1 No |
Post New Answer View All Answers
What are the ecb and cbc modes?
What is decryption?
Do digital signatures help detect altered documents and transmission errors?
whats cryptanalysis?
What is an algorithm?
Do encrypted files contain password in some form?
why hash functions are not used for encryption but authentication ?
Blowfish uses the longest key. Does this mean it is the strongest cipher?
How can we use quantum properties in cryptography ?
what is trapdoor and how does it works?
What is multiple encryption?
What is public-key cryptography ?
What is luc?
What are some other public key cryptosystems ?
How to remove the Kryptel (Silver Key) icon from the desktop?
