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Date:      Thu, 8 Nov 2001 09:19:55 +0100
From:      "Anthony Atkielski" <anthony@atkielski.com>
To:        "Andrew C. Hornback" <achornback@worldnet.att.net>, "FreeBSD Questions" <freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
Subject:   Re: Lockdown of FreeBSD machine directly on Net
Message-ID:  <003901c1682e$26a0a0d0$0a00000a@atkielski.com>
References:  <00e201c167d4$474ad9e0$6600000a@columbia>

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Andrew writes:

> > b) Calling the sysadmin and pretending to be his
> > boss and convince him to open a hole.
>
> Most organizations require something like that in
> writing, or at least as part of a face to face
> conversation.  That negates this loophole.

I've never encountered an organization that has a policy like that, but my
personal policy is along those lines.  If any manager wants me to compromise
system security, he needs to put it in writing.  This not only protects the
organization from hanky-panky, but it protects me and the organization from
lawsuits (albeit not prosecution, in most cases).

> If a secretary does this, they need to be fired,
> period.

In some organizations (many, in fact), she might be fired for _not_ doing it, as
few people understand the risk to security that doing something like this
represents, and they would interpret her refusal as a lack of team spirit or
cooperation or some such.

> Wouldn't work under a "Trusted" system, you'd
> have to bribe, torture or blackmail three people.

Not outside the realm of possibility, but it is true that collusion between two
or more people is _far_ less common (and much less stable) than dishonesty in a
single individual.




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