An file acts as a "Rosetta Stone" for databases. In complex systems, information is rarely stored in one place. Instead, it is spread across multiple tables or platforms, connected by unique numeric or alphanumeric strings known as "IDs." The ids.xls file serves several core functions:
ids.xls was the makeshift database. It was the master ledger where security engineers logged IP addresses of known malicious actors, cataloged firewall rules, or—most commonly—kept track of user credentials, access levels, and Active Directory mappings. ids.xls
cipher /w:C:\folder\containing\ids