larger image

Rack-A-TACC is a rack mounted network appliance that leverages multiple Tableau TACC1441 accelerators to recover passwords from encrypted files using dictionary and brute-force attack methods.

Rack-A-TACC Rack Mounted Password Decryption Device

Rack-A-TACC units integrate four accelerators into a single 2U chassis controlled by a quad core host computer with optimized I/O channels. This design allows the appliance to be used as an individual stand alone system for breaking passwords or to be integrated into a distributed network for increased scalability and performance.

Use Multiple Accelerators for Faster Performance

Taking advantage of the scalability of the Tableau 1441 accelerators, the Rack-A-TACC is a modular building block for decryption. Running the AccessData Password Recovery Toolkit (PRTK) or Distributed Network Attack (DNA) a single Rack-A-TACC can provide 24x to 180x performance gain over a stand alone quad core computer system. Rack-A-TACC units can be configured in a DNA cluster to further increase decryption capabilities. As an example, the DNA cluster pictured to the right (comprised of 10 Rack-A-TACC units) processes WinZip9 passwords at speeds of 2,500,000 passwords a second. This performance gain makes it possible to analyze files once thought to be too time consuming to be examined. A typical quad core 2.4ghz computer can process approximately 400 Office 2007 passwords a second. Using a single Rack-A-TACC unit increases performance to 10,500 passwords a second. Multiple Rack-A-TACC units configured to work together in a DNA cluster as pictured produce speeds of approximately 105,000 Office 2007 passwords per second. Each additional Rack-A-TACC unit provides a corresponding linear increase in performance. This linear relationship allows a decryption solution to be designed to meet most all needs.

Rack-A-TACC Baseline Specifications

• 2U Rack Mounted Chassis With 460 Watt ATX Power Supply
• Quad Core Motherboard with Intel® Q965 GMCH & 82801HB ICH8DO975X Chipset and 1066/800/533 MHz Front Side Bus
• Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 CPU (Quad Processor), 2.40 Ghz, 1066 Mhz FSB
• 4 GB DDR2-800 Dual Channel Memory
• Intel® Q965 GMCH Integrated GMA 3000 Graphics Controller with dual display output (VGA & DVI)
• 10/100/1000 Mbs Gigabit Ethernet Network Adapter
• High Definition Audio Controller
• 4 port, 3.0 Gb/s Serial ATA (SATA) Controller
• 2 USB 2.0/1.x Ports
• Dual Channel FireWire 800 Controller for Optimized FireWire Performance
• One 500Gb 7200 RPM 3.0 Gb/s SATA Hard Drive (Internal System Drive)
• Software Windows XP Pro
• Four Tableau TACC 1441 Accelerators (two per FireWire Channel)