Unix Security Mail

[HAMID SAMADANI]

Path: lims01.lerc.nasa.gov!hamid
From: hamid at lims01.lerc.nasa.gov (HAMID SAMADANI)
Newsgroups: misc.security
Subject: Unix mail
Date:  4 JAN 91 09:23:15    
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	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 at lims01.lerc.nasa.gov

			-My opinions are my own.