If you’re a user of an NIU email account, keep in mind that your messages might not be as private as you think.

If necessary, NIU e-mail administrators have access to any account in the campus e-mail system, said Elizabeth Leake, associate director of Information Technology Services customer support services.

Two specific circumstances allow for administrators at NIU to access to your information.

If the individual is having problems with his or her mail, they can go to an administrator for assistance, consenting for them to access your services, Leake said.

In addition, a court order can compel an administrator to share information, Leake said.

At least one NIU student was concerned about who else may have access to his e-mail.

“I’m not worried about there being something inappropriate in my e-mail,” said junior marketing major Jason Lewis. “But the fact that somebody else at NIU has access to my account makes me wonder who else could get in there.”

NIU e-mail administrators do sign a confidentiality agreement that says they cannot share information with others unless court ordered, which rarely happens, Leake said.

Students and faculty should understand that NIU’s e-mail system is not unlike other e-mail services, like Hotmail and Yahoo!, Leake said.

“Every e-mail service must maintain personnel who have administrative access to systems,” Leake said. “It doesn’t matter whether the institution is public, private or a commercial service.”

This may include reading the contents of individuals’ mail boxes, Leake said. In some cases it means they can administratively reset the passwords to view the contents.

Though every precaution is taken to ensure the privacy of e-mail, there are ways for third parties to “sniff” the electronic transmission of information, Leake said. Passwords can be cracked so that the contents of private mail boxes are revealed.

Individuals can be in danger when they enter an online chat program, Leake said. Often, chat areas are not encrypted and can allow a third party to obtain information.

“Users should be more concerned with third parties accessing their mail and chat sessions than administrators,” Leak said. “Most administrators have way too much to do. They don’t have time to snoop around.”