Puzzle for September 29, 2006
A hypothetical computer science department provides a Hypothetical Computer
Science Instructional Facility. Students do their homework on the HCSIF
computers.
Suppose a student in a beginning programming class writes a program
but fails to use the protection mechanisms to prevent others from reading it.
A second student reads the first student's program.
- If the security policy of the HCSIF says that students are
not allowed to read homework-related files from other students,
has the second student violated security? Has the first?
- If the first student had used the protection mechanisms
to prevent other students from reading the file, but the second student
figured out a way to read the file, would your answer to part 1 change?
If so, how?
- If the first student told the second student to “feel free
to look at my answer, just don't copy it,” would your answer
to part 1 change? If so, how?