Information Security News: School officials: 13-year-old hacker wiped out school records from computer system

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

http://www.morningjournal.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=11111924&BRD=1699&PAG=461&dept_id=46371&rfi=6

MICHAEL C. FITZPATRICK 
Morning Journal Writer  
03/11/2004 
 
NORTH RIDGEVILLE -- A middle school student hacked into a server that 
stored records for a computerized student reading program and deleted 
the files sometime last week, according to North Ridgeville schools 
Superintendent Larry Bowersox. 

The 13-year-old boy is currently serving a 10-day suspension and 
school officials were expected to meet with his parents today to 
determine if he would be expelled, according to school officials.

''This student made a conscious choice and willfully destroyed 
property. That's vandalism, that's a serious act and that's something 
we can't tolerate,'' said Bowersox.

The files deleted were associated with a reading program called 
Accelerated Reader, Bowersox said. The files destroyed ''document and 
store student progress'' in the reading program, Bowersox said.

No confidential student information was deleted, Bowersox said. He 
said that information is stored on a different server.

The district is also looking into whether other students were involved 
in the hacking, school officials said.

Bowersox declined to give any information about the student, saying he 
would be in violation of student confidentiality laws.

Bowersox said the number of files deleted numbered in ''the 
hundreds.''

Principal John Komperda told the Associated Press that a substitute 
teacher allowed the eighth-grader to use a classroom computer after 
completing an assignment on March 2. 

Bowersox said the problem was detected Thursday when students were 
unable to retrieve their own reading files.

Students and their parents in the North Ridgeville schools are 
required to sign an ''acceptable use'' form to use the computers, 
Bowersox said.

Bowersox said the investigation is ongoing and the school is examining 
how its servers are safeguarded.

''We had used the normal safeguards that are built into that program 
but as a result of this incident we are looking into developing 
additional safeguards, passwords or whatever we need to protect that 
information,'' said Bowersox.
 


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