Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
from around the country to log on to the machines. With such
accounts, anyone can log on to a machine without having to
know a password. Typically, the capabilities available from
such accounts are somewhat restricted, but they do allow in
terested users to locate, copy, and edit publicly available data
and to run programs. Such sharing of data can support a wide
range of research and development efforts, and much educa
tional software and materials are exchanged at low cost
through such opportunities.
Although anonymous accounts can aid legitimate access to pub
licly accessible data, they also can provide a convenient starting
place for people wishing to obtain sensitive data. Review vari
ous ways of obtaining unauthorized access to data on distrib
uted networks, and describe at least two major ways that such
anonymous accounts could be used in breaking into restricted
data or accounts.
3.
One way the problem of trust is complicated for computers is
that a very large number of people may have a legitimate re
sponsibility for part of a system. Determine what capabilities
each of the following people should be given in order to do their
jobs, and consider how each of them might use those powers to
obtain or transmit unauthorized information if they wished.
a.
Computer operators
b.
Software developers
c.
System managers
d.
Repair/maintenance personnel
e.
Users on a multiuser computer
4.
Suppose a programmer teamed up with a member of a testing
or system administration group. Describe a few ways (at least
two) where the two people could work in collusion to obtain
sensitive data in a way that would be difficult to detect. For
example, how could one person cover for the other?
5.
The following questions raise issues about the trust that a
person might have when using a computer. In each case, clar
ify the issue(s) and determine the extent you think this should
be a concern for computer users.
a.
When you use a wordprocessing package, how do you
know that the program is not making another copy of
