> Write the entries to amandapass~ and before your cronjob starts amdump,
> cp amandapass~ amandapass

Good idea.

>  > any local user can access the machine and could steal the hard disk.
>  > Or steal one of the disk holding the virtual tapes.
> 
> Aren't the doors locked? Or the servers secured in a different way?

No :) But we are only a computer science department in a University, we
are not manipulating any sensitive information.

Bests,

Olivier