Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!ra!Ra.MsState.Edu!fwp1 From: fwp1@CC.MsState.Edu (Frank Peters) Newsgroups: comp.admin.policy Subject: Re: SUSPEND SYSOPS, NOT STUDENTS Message-ID: Date: 18 Jun 91 00:42:13 GMT References: <20740@slice.ooc.uva.nl> <20790@slice.ooc.uva.nl> <1991Jun17.110742.25947@bellcore.bellcore.com> Sender: usenet@ra.MsState.Edu Organization: Computing Center, Mississippi State University Lines: 36 Nntp-Posting-Host: jester.cc.msstate.edu In-reply-to: ckd@eff.org's message of 17 Jun 91 18:13:20 GMT : On 17 Jun 91 18:13:20 GMT, ckd@eff.org (Christopher Davis) said: > Mr. Edward Foo has an account on vax99.big-u.edu. He keeps some things > there, that (while not horrendous top secret information) he'd rather > keep out of the way of J. Random Luser. > He runs COPS on the system (say, without the PW guesser, because that > takes too damned long). He finds that /var/spool is world-writable. He > reports this to the sysadmins, who fix it (hopefully ;-). > Has he done anything wrong? If he did it here, I'd be glad to hear it > so I could fix it (though I run COPS, too...). I'd suggest that Mr. Foo ask his system administrator to run cops. Or, if the administrator refuses/claims not to have time, he should ask permission to run cops before he does it. Often, if the user asks he/she will find that the administrator already runs cops periodically. I do but I doubt many of my users know that. If both efforts fail then he should take the issue of security up with the administrator's superior. If all of these efforts fail then your post might have relevance. In my experience, most administrators don't mind security conscious users. What they generally do mind is finding users who are 'evaluating' the system's security without prior consultation. This simple step (notifying the administrator of probing in advance) seems to be one that is skipped by most hackers. And IMHO it is the major source of ill feeling. Fwp -- Frank Peters Internet: fwp1@CC.MsState.Edu Bitnet: FWP1@MsState Phone: (601)325-2942 FAX: (601)325-8921