OK, shall we savage another security solution?

[Nicholas Bohm]

Leichter, Jerry wrote:
...

> If you think about this in general terms, we're at the point where we
> can avoid having to trust the CPU, memory, disks, programs, OS, etc.,
> in the borrowed box, except to the degree that they give us access to
> the screen and keyboard.  (The problem of securing connections that
> go through a hostile intermediary we know how to solve.)  The keyboard
> problem is intractable, though it would certainly be a step forward
> if at least security information didn't go through there.  This could
> be done either by having a small data entry mechanism on the secure
> device itself, or by using some kind of challenge/response (an LCD
> on the device supplies a random value - not readable in any way by
> the connected machine - that you combine with your password before
> typing it in.)  Maybe HDMI will actually have some use in providing
> a secure path to the screen?  (Unlikely, unfortunately.)

Would it not be possible to solve the keyboard problem by allowing a
keyboard (e.g. USB) to be plugged directly into the device?

Nicholas
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