ISPs providing any kind of authenticated PPP store your password in cleartext, because PPP authentication does not work without storing cleartext passwords.
Re:Newegg stores your password in plaintext
by tptacek on Wednesday May 25, 2011 @08:17AM
(#2583687)
PAP doesn't require the server to store cleartext passwords.
If a customer calls up wanting to know their password, I would bet that they are configuring a new modem and that's why the need it. If their modem knows the password, why do they need to know it?
Re:Newegg stores your password in plaintext
by trafficlight on Tuesday May 24, 2011 @09:17PM
(#2582484)
Email, ftp access, ssh access. There are lots of other reasons for needing to know a password.
Worth also knowing is that many ISP's store your password using reversible encryption, because if a customer calls up wanting to know their password, it doesn't have to be regenerated. Which can save a lot of time re-configuring modem PPP credentials with your average Joe.