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Aug. 18th, 2006 02:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wolfwingsI've spent enough time doing live events to learn some things that break 'normal' systems operation principles.
One of the most fundamental of these is that computer passwords must be audio-unique and able to be transmitted over a barely-functional FRS link for live event usage. I've experimented with a couple of different approaches... but found that an incredibly simple one turned out to be unbelievably functional.
Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti. Yes, the old music scale. And it turns out generating relatively secure passwords is quite easy. The number of entropic bits per tone is 2.6, though I've also learned that disallowing repeated notes allows for dealing even with tin-can-and-string communications as any repeat is either an error or double/triple-sent notes. That lowers the effective entropy bits to just under 2.6, which I usually treat as 2.5 so the math is relatively trivial. It means that for every 5 bits of uniqueness, you need 2 notes. I usually set things to be unique to a 1:1024*users chance, so for a single-user system (they happen) we'd need 4 notes. For a 2-32 user network, 6 notes. For a 33-1024 user network, 8 notes.
Just a random thought I've realized from working live events where a connection may have to be arbitrarilly added mid-show for the last few years, where I try to keep things secure.
One of the most fundamental of these is that computer passwords must be audio-unique and able to be transmitted over a barely-functional FRS link for live event usage. I've experimented with a couple of different approaches... but found that an incredibly simple one turned out to be unbelievably functional.
Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti. Yes, the old music scale. And it turns out generating relatively secure passwords is quite easy. The number of entropic bits per tone is 2.6, though I've also learned that disallowing repeated notes allows for dealing even with tin-can-and-string communications as any repeat is either an error or double/triple-sent notes. That lowers the effective entropy bits to just under 2.6, which I usually treat as 2.5 so the math is relatively trivial. It means that for every 5 bits of uniqueness, you need 2 notes. I usually set things to be unique to a 1:1024*users chance, so for a single-user system (they happen) we'd need 4 notes. For a 2-32 user network, 6 notes. For a 33-1024 user network, 8 notes.
Just a random thought I've realized from working live events where a connection may have to be arbitrarilly added mid-show for the last few years, where I try to keep things secure.