Application Sudo listed in Activity Monitor - Is this a default app that should be running?

Question

First Question:        Do other MBP users have an application Sudo listed in Activity Monitor from start up of their mac or with typical use?
Second Question:   If you have Sudo process listed in your Activity Monitor, do you also use an Huawei USB wireless modem?
Third Question:       For those experienced in relevant coding domains and given the more technical details below - your thoughts?
(Technical)
Using MBP Retina, mid 2012, OSX 10.8.4
I understand sudo is a unix root level access command. 
I have used Terminal and become familiar with some basic unix commands, including using the sudo command in very limited single action command circumstances.  I have not used Terminal for many weeks, and the sudo command probably twice several months ago. 
Sudo showing in Activity Monitor as an active process is to my understanding an entirely different situation to it being used in Terminal.  It appears the sudo process is being activated by some other application or process not of my direct use or actions.
I remain a little concerned about this in view of the purchase of this particular MBP. It has a story to it. I was told this MBP was available as new on discount as it had been purchased by a man for his wife, the wife then left him, and subsequently he returned it unused to the store.   I was aware that there was a slim risk the laptop had been used for some other activities, and returned so any come back comes back to the new owner.
I noted later with use that the MBP lower keys were sticky as if something has been spilt on them, so I do wonder if the laptop was previously used, then wiped, in which case the story presented to the retailer is likely not true and a more concerning scenario becomes possible.  
All the same, I felt a clean install should remove any risk.  The MBP arrived in standard ready to set up and go mode, so OS loaded but no activation.  So it seemed a clean install to me.   I did not wipe the HD and do a fresh OS install from scratch. A decision I now regret.
Some months after using this new MBP, my concerns were raised when I had one day of inexplicable internet usage on a wireless internet connection.  Not only did the level of data upload and data load, about 4 GB out of 20 GB for the month not make sense with actual usage, but also the MBP system logs did not tally with the internet providers accounting of usage on that day.  There have been two or three other anomalies in usage since.  The internet service provider reimbursed me on my evidence of OSX system logs.  Not sure if the service provider has people joy riding other users accounts or something suss this end was going on. Never resolved. The ISP was not exactly forthcoming, and I had to press hard to get some collaboration on resolve the anomaly of unexplained data usage.
On the less suspicious side, the existence of this sudo program tracked down as in part coming from the install software from a Huawei modem provided by my internet provider.  However, while widely used and therefore likely not a security risk, I still feel need for some better explanation and resolution of the persistent sudo process. 
I have  inquired to Apple Support about this sudo app running, and it apparently was not seen as an issue of concern by the front line support staff.  I took up some further concerns with them but checks indicate no issues of concern with the MBP from their assessment. I trusted that as fairly likely a definitive view, and so left the questions and anomalies as unexplained but harmless. 
It is now several months later and I still find the existence of sudo as a running application or process in Activity Monitor troubling, and decided to try and resolve once again how typical and for what reason it is active on my MBP. Which brings us to this post.
I have again spent a few hours searching on Google and Apple Support Forums.   All search results I find relate to the use of sudo as a unix command in Terminal to resolve a problem.  I can not find any indication of sudo as an app being open routinely in Activity Monitor with or without Terminal being opened or used.
The only way I can think of to resolve if this is unusal or not is to get on this forum and ask the first two questions at the top of this post.
More technical details follow.
For some more technically minded the details may be of interest, hence below here I have added  details for further comment.   I am hoping some MBP users on this forum may also be coders, and hence have some idea of the internal mac coding environment. Enough to shed some light on this situation. 
As mentioned, I think the sudo Activity Monitor may originate from the running of the Internet Providers USB Wireless Modem and software (Huawei E 169? modem).  The USB modem has the install software on it.  You install that software on your HD as an application. 
On this USB Wireless Modem front I have done some checking.  
Killing sudo in Activity Monitor does not stop an internet connection mid session. 
When the USB modem is removed, the sudo process remains running and listed in Activity Monitor. 
If I remove the Modem icon, unplug modem, close all apps, restart without the modem connected, the sudo process is still loaded and running in Activity Monitor.
Months ago on a previous check if I deleted (uninstalled) the modem software, removed associated start up files installed by the modem installation, took out the USB Modem and did a restart, there was no return of the sudo process in Activity Monitor.  When the modem software was reinstalled or the start up files restored directly, the sudo process returns to Activity Monitor.  One of the software bits installed in start up files calls sudo (or so it appears having a peak in BBedit at the files.)
This seems to fairly much establish the source of the sudo application. However it does not resolve why it needs to be open all the time, and if this is unique to this modem, my modem,  modems in general, or if permanent running sudo processes are fairly 'normal' in general.  Since sudo is a root level access process, I do feel a little concerned of the situation.   Let's say the sudo process is needed to initiate the modem under some justification.  Does the sudo process in remaining running permanently from there on, with or without the USB modem connected leave an open access way and vulnerability that can or is used later?   i do not know enough of the coding level architecture to form a view.   Still, seeing a permanent sudo process operating does niggle by sense of suspicion.    Hence, I continue to raise this issue and ask the questions I do.
In Activity Monitor:
sudo as a process when running is not very active.  
Real Mem 8 KB, Virtual Mem 9.4 MB, Sent Msgs 75, Rcved Mesgs 26, Ports 25, Intel (64 bit).
The sudo process:
Using Sample Process in Activity Monitor:   sudo appears to be a running of the actual sudo command from within the unix command files.
Path:            /usr/bin/sudo  (Master Library, not the one in the User files)
Load Address:    (removed)
Identifier:      sudo
Version:         ??? (???)
Code Type:       X86-64 (Native)
Parent Process:  launchd [1]
Call graph
2nd line is 2656  start  (in libdyld.dylib) + 1  [(removed)]
Binary Images:
Includes reference to lots of .dylib files. eg libcache.dylib, libquarantine.dylib, libremovefile.dylib, libcompiler_rt.dylib, libcorecrypto.dylib
The parent process is launchd[1]
Process:         launchd [1]
Path:            /sbin/launchd
Load Address:    (removed)
Identifier:      launchd
Version:         ??? (???)
Code Type:       X86-64 (Native)
Parent Process:  ??? [Unknown]
It seems all of the activity of launchd[1] is from the sudo process.
Again reference to .dylib files as captured in call graph and Binary images.
I hope the details are valued by someone with an interest to assist with resolving concerns.

Answer 1

Thanks,
I usually use the OS connection option. So as you suggest, connect without the ISP connection software.  Doing so does not by-pass the sudo command being active in Activity Monitor however. 
On reading my post I see my failure to link the concerns of the laptop purchase with the sudo and modem. My thought here is of an intersection of known vulnerability with this widely used modem/software (via permanent sudo process activated) and that vulnerability then being known and utilised by another party(s).
I am pursuing the issue in part with consideration to a broader possible issue of vulnerability.
Thanks again for your thoughts and suggestions. Valued.