Time-Release (rotating) passwords

[wildguts]

Is there a way to imbed a small database with, say, 50 listed words,
that can be used as passwords... and then saved within the document
(encrypted), and then have a timer that accesses the list, say, once
each week, as a new password?

What I'm shooting for is a way to rotate passwords on a document
without having to update it manually and re-distribute it to my Beta
group. I've got that kind of brain that envisions the possibility,
but I don't have actual experience to know if it's already been done
or if it is even doable.

Bill Niehausen

 

[JE McGimpsey]

Is there a way to imbed a small database with, say, 50 listed words,
that can be used as passwords... and then saved within the document
(encrypted), and then have a timer that accesses the list, say, once
each week, as a new password?

What I'm shooting for is a way to rotate passwords on a document
without having to update it manually and re-distribute it to my Beta
group. I've got that kind of brain that envisions the possibility,
but I don't have actual experience to know if it's already been done
or if it is even doable.

Are your beta testers smart enough to find these newsgroups? If so,
they'll be able to find free and simple techniques to bypass any
internal protection you place on your workbook.

If not, to do what you want is possible. Here are some major items:

First, you'd need to design your entire workbook to be disabled if
started with the Shift Key down (i.e., bypassing macros). Make sheets
hidden until the correct password is entered.

Second, you'd need to compare the computer's date to some base date to
calculate which password should be in effect. Of course, that means the
user could simply set the date back, so you'd probably want to write an
invisible file to a safe directory to indicate the latest date.

Third, you'd need to write an encryption routine - there are ton of them
available on the web.

Fourth, you'd need to disable Save-ing (using the Workbook_BeforeSave()
event to replace the protection on the workbook before saving, so that
an unprotected copy can't be created.

As I said, all of these things would be trivial to bypass.

Finally, do you really intend to run a 50-week beta with no updates? I
can't see how that will benefit you or your users.

 

[cr4sh0v3r1d3]

why not create a workbook that queries an online database, but does
not contain any data itself. Every week you change the password for
your central database. Every week you email your beta group giving
them the new password to plug in to your spread sheet.

If you don't have anywhere to host a database, then you probably cant
pull it off. This project needs some centralized control structure.