Security News > 2004 > March > School officials: 13-year-old hacker wiped out school records from computer system

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. - ISN is currently hosted by Attrition.org To unsubscribe email majordomo () attrition org with 'unsubscribe isn' in the BODY of the mail.

News URL

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