The safest way to store the password is to add some salt to it (please keep the salt somewhere safe and secure too!), encrypt the password using your favorite high-strength algorithm, then store the generated hash in the database. When you have to validate a password, put the attempted password through the same routine and compare the generated hash to what stored in the database. RageInTheMachine9532 "...a pungent, ghastly, stinky piece of cheese!" -- The Roaming Gnome

You can use System time as well. Only difference between system and your time could be a shift. Look at the DateTime structure at MSDN or somewhere else. Your can set your clock to any time you want, then compute a shift between your time and system time. Everywhen you want to update your time, just compute: system time + difference. It's not extremely accurate (in the mean of milliseconds), but it may be enough for your application.