Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!eagle!news
From: hamid@lims01.lerc.nasa.gov (HAMID SAMADANI)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.misc
Subject: Unix Security Mail
Message-ID: <1991Jan4.143423.9494@eagle.lerc.nasa.gov>
Date: 4 Jan 91 14:34:23 GMT
Reply-To: hamid@lims01.lerc.nasa.gov
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Lines: 35
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.3-4

Path: lims01.lerc.nasa.gov!hamid
From: hamid@lims01.lerc.nasa.gov (HAMID SAMADANI)
Newsgroups: misc.security
Subject: Unix mail
Date:  4 JAN 91 09:23:15    
Expires: 
References: 
Sender: 
Reply-To: hamid@lims01.lerc.nasa.gov
Followup-To:  
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Keywords:  
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.3-4   

	How secure is mail on a Unix account?

	Level 1 - If your login password is known by others, then
		  your mail is certainly not secure.

	Leve 2 - What if the access privileges to the directory into which
		 Unix stores mail is open to world?  What measures can
		 a user take to ensure that their mail is stored in a
		 secure directory.  Where and how is Unix mail stored?

	Level 3 - Finally, root has access to everything.  Does a user
		  have to essentially depend on the discretion of the 
		  person(s) who has/have the root account and password in
		  consideration of mail or other files that are private
		  or sensitive?


			Hamid Samadani			
			hamid@lims01.lerc.nasa.gov

			-My opinions are my own.