[Cryptography] randomness +- entropy

[Bill Frantz]

On 11/6/13 at 8:16 PM, leichter at lrw.com (Jerry Leichter) wrote:

>In fact, though, I can think of one simple example:  A CD Linux 
>image used precisely to conduct operations we want to keep 
>secure.  For example, there's a suggestion that small 
>businesses use exactly such a thing to do their on-line 
>banking, as their usual systems are way too vulnerable to 
>various kinds of malware (and small businesses have been 
>subject to attacks that bankrupted them).  The CD itself can't 
>carry a seed, as it will be re-used repeatedly.  It has to come 
>up quickly, and on pretty much any hardware, to be useful.  You 
>could probably get something like Turbid in there - but there 
>are plenty of CD's around already that have little if anything.

In this case there is an active UI with an attached keyboard and 
mouse. It is probably a really major change to Linux boot, but 
use any excuse to get user to move the mouse and you have plenty 
of "randomness" to seed the RNG.

Cheers - Bill

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