Copyright 1996 by John Halleck 



Most operating systems give the privilege of reading and writing any
user's files as part of the normal "system" privileges. This means that on
many machines, all of the system people can gain access (without leaving
any traces) to everybody's personal files and mail. Normally the system
people are a surprisingly ethical bunch, but there is the possibility for
abuse. 

You are given "system" privileges. Should you use them to read files in
the following cases: 
You suspect a user of illegal or unethical activities and checking their
files would establish this for sure. 
Your boss suspects a user of illegal activities, and wants you to check. 
You suspect SOMEBODY is doing illegal activities on the machine and you
want to find out who it is. 
You suspect somebody MIGHT be doing illegal activities on the machine, and
you want to find out for sure. 
You want to find out (by checking what newsgroups they read) if anybody
else on the machine is into [perversion of your choice] as you happen to
be. 
You hear a user saying how his/her data is "so much safer from prying
eyes" now that it is on the computer. Do you burst their bubble by
pointing out that system folk have access? What if the data affect you? 
Your company does not have the vaguest idea of how to manage a machine,
and offer you system privileges when they are not needed. 
Do you refuse them because you don't need them? 
Do you accept them because they might come in handy later? 
Do you accept them because everyone else did, and you don't want to be at
a disadvantage?