The security of UNIX: a parable

[andrew at orca.UUCP]

To make the parable into an analogy, you must add the following factors:

  -- Within each house lives a licensed locksmith, who has with her a
     full set of tools.  Perhaps she is also the gardener and cook, but
     if she ever learns that something is wrong with a house lock she
     drops everything and fixes it.

  -- Johnny Admin only distributes flyers to people who already can get
     into at least one of the houses.  Rather than distributing flyers
     at the shopping center, he uses his new-found ability to enter each
     house and tack a flyer up in the living room.

Now, did Johnny do the right thing?

I think most people's answer would be `yes'.

  -- Andrew Klossner   (decvax!teklabs!tekecs!andrew)  [UUCP]
                       (andrew.tektronix at rand-relay)   [ARPA]