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Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:01:08 +0100
From: Dave Korn <dave DOT korn DOT cygwin AT googlemail DOT com>
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Subject: Re: Reading what should not!
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Angelo Graziosi wrote:

> Why 'root' should read, for example, private mails of the other simple
> users of that PC?

  Root is the superuser.  Root is the administrative account.  Root can do
anything.  The sysadmin /has/ to be able to access all the files on a system,
it is a necessary part of administering the system.  If root can't read the
user's private mailbox file, how can root back up that user's private mailbox
file for them?

  (The ethical issues surrounding the guardianship, accountability and
responsible use of this degree of power cannot be solved by technological
means, so we don't even try to "fix it in the OS".  If you want to keep
confidential data on a machine where you are not root and where you cannot
trust the root user to respect your privacy, you shouldn't put it there in the
first place.)

    cheers,
      DaveK


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