Information Security Officer Interview Question:

Tell me you see a user logging in as root to perform basic functions. Is this a problem?

Submitted by: Muhammad

A Linux admin account (root) has many powers that are not permitted for standard users. That being said, it is not always necessary to log all the way off and log back in as root in order to do these tasks. For example, if you have ever used the ‘run as admin' command in Windows, then you will know the basic concept behind ‘sudo' or ‘superuser (root) do' for whatever it is you want it to do. It's a very simple and elegant method for reducing the amount of time you need to be logged in as a privileged user. The more time a user spends with enhanced permissions, the more likely it is that something is going to go wrong – whether accidentally or intentionally.
Submitted by: Muhammad