Re: Watchword

[Carl Ellison <cme@sw.stratus.com>]

One reader asked:
>Will you please send me some additional information on Racal - Guardata
>Watchword technology? I would appreciate any addresses you might have of
>sellers, resellers, and the company itself also.


Racal-Guardata is a British company, I believe, but they have a US office:

Racal-Guardata
480 Spring Park Place
Herndon VA 22070
1-800-521-6261
in VA: 703-471-0892
FAX: 703-437-9333

They make both authorization and encryption devices (all DES based, I
believe).

The WatchWord I have is a small 4-fcn calculator with an 8 digit display,
4 1/8" x 2 1/4" x 3/8" in its own vinal case.

It has the normal buttons, including M+, RM, CM ....

It also has an unlabeled red button.

You press it and the fine print says "AUTH  \n  ENTER PIN".
You enter your PIN and press "=" and it changes to "ENTER CHALL"
You enter your 7-digit challenge number and press "=" and it shows
you the 7-digit reply.  (DES of the challenge number, using your key as
selected (probably merely modified) by the PIN.) labeled "RESP".

You clear that by turning the calculator off.

Each unit can be programmed with a key of your choice.  You don't have
to use a key provided by your employer.

(Note: if you use your own keys and have a good source of rannos, this is a
hand-held DES encryption device.  The operating rate is slow but the
security should be full DES.  (Alice generates a ranno and tells Bob in the
clear, Bob encrypts ranno and adds in a 7 digit message fragment, tells
that back to Alice who also encrypted the ranno.)

It can hold two different keys, for two different services (machines,
people, ...).

The last I heard, a new model was coming out (I'm holding the old one -- from
a year ago or more) which is more like a credit card in size but has all the
same functionality.  That one should be out by now and it was predicted to
cost around $50.  You need to ask Racal about it, if you're interested.

 - Carl