Unix® System Management Primer Plus

Security Waivers

The job of a system administrator carries an enormous amount of responsibility; one of the most important responsibilities is maintaining the privacy of users. It is very easy for a system administrator to actually violate his or her own security policy by performing routine tasks like sniffing network traffic or checking for easily guessable user passwords. To give a system administrator permission to view sensitive data necessary in the course of performing his or her job, organizations issue to system administrators documents known as security waivers.

Most administrators and their employers understand that this kind of investigation is part of the job, and that administrators are required to behave in an ethical manner. But ...