What is Syskey and how does it work?
About 24 years ago, Microsoft wanted to make its operating system more secure and added an extra layer of protection that is Syskey. So, Syskey was an encryption program. This encryption program used a 128-bit RC4 encryption key to encrypt SAM (Security Account Manager) database that stores user passwords in a hashed format.
What is the difference betweensyssyskey Mode 1 and Mode 2?
Syskey Mode 1 is automatic, and the computer reads the key on startup. Mode 2 requires the key to be typed in by the user at startup, while Mode 3 requires the key to be entered from external media such as a USB drive. See SAM.
What happened to Syskey on Windows 10?
Syskey can be found on versions of Windows before Windows 10. It was replaced by BitLocker disk encryption on Windows 10. Why did Microsoft abandon this encryption program? The first reason is that the Syskey process is quite outdated in modern times. The second reason is that “tech support” scammers would take advantage of Syskey to make money.
When did Syskey first come out?
The syskey.exe utility and its underlying support in the Windows OS was first introduced in Windows 2000 and backported to Windows NT 4.0. For more information, see How to use the SysKey utility to help secure the Windows Security Accounts Manager database.
What happened to Syskey in Windows 10?
From Microsoft official announcement, for the sake of security, syskey has been removed from Windows 10 version 1709 or Windows 10 server 2016.
What is the Syskey Bug?
Microsoft later issued a fix for the problem (dubbed the „Syskey Bug“). The bug affected both Windows NT 4.0 and pre-RC3 versions of Windows 2000. Syskey is commonly abused by „tech support“ scammers to lock victims out of their own computers, in order to coerce them into paying a ransom.