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HCS Computer Security Breach
Leads to May Jam Cancellation
Hamilton Central Schools last year created a touchstone, a set
of four beliefs to which administrators, faculty and students are
meant to prescribe. One of those says that at HCS, people:
"Take pride in doing the right things even when no one is
watching."
It was that principle -- the belief in maintaining a community of
trust -- that was violated by many students who used a special
password to sidestep security protocols while using school
computers. Because of that, and some other unrelated issues,
the annual celebration near the end of the school year was
cancelled.
In addition, several students were given individual sanctions.
Secondary Principal Dana Chapman said May Jam is meant to
be a day during which faculty, staff and students celebrate the
lack of vandalism to school property. The computer security
breach and an incident in which milk was sprayed throughtout
the large group instruction room led officials to cancel May
Jam, which would otherwise have been held the last day of
school before the Memorial Day break.
The cancellation was announced Friday during a special student
forum held at the end of the school day.
Chapman said the cancellation of May Jam is only part of the
school's response to the computer security breach. Chapman
also discussed the issue with students and held a meeting and
training with faculty members. New computer security
measures have also been installed.
From the outset of the incident, Superintendent Diana Bowers
has said it is important that the school community also learn
from the security violation. Toward that end, there is a series
of seminars scheduled for each day during the week of May 12.
These include:
+ Monday, development of the brain and the decision-making
process will be discussed;
+ Tuesday, school psychologist Courtney Richman will make
a presentation;
+ Wednesday, PE teacher and Athletic Director Bill
Dowsland will present a video of MRIs of brains under the
influence of drugs and alcohol;
+ Thursday, a discussion of cyber-safety;
+ and Friday, discussions at each grade level about what
students have learned.
Chapman also said several individual students will receive
sanctions because of their more serious involvement in the
security breach. School officials identified students who used
proxy servers, installed software that allowed them to control
other computers and downloaded and installed software to
record every keystroke of others on a computer.
The principal reiterated that while this sophisticated computer
espionage software was installed on the school's system, it was
not used to enter the confidential portion of system itself.
Mostly, the security breach allowed students to to bypass the
network's normal security and access Internet websites.
Chapman said students downloaded more than 118,000 pages.
Throughout the computer security investigation, Chapman said
he believed students understand the severity of the violation.
But, he also said he was surprised "that so many students made
the conscious decision to do this and justify it by saying
everyone does it."
Posted 2008.5.4
Leads to May Jam Cancellation
Hamilton Central Schools last year created a touchstone, a set
of four beliefs to which administrators, faculty and students are
meant to prescribe. One of those says that at HCS, people:
"Take pride in doing the right things even when no one is
watching."
It was that principle -- the belief in maintaining a community of
trust -- that was violated by many students who used a special
password to sidestep security protocols while using school
computers. Because of that, and some other unrelated issues,
the annual celebration near the end of the school year was
cancelled.
In addition, several students were given individual sanctions.
Secondary Principal Dana Chapman said May Jam is meant to
be a day during which faculty, staff and students celebrate the
lack of vandalism to school property. The computer security
breach and an incident in which milk was sprayed throughtout
the large group instruction room led officials to cancel May
Jam, which would otherwise have been held the last day of
school before the Memorial Day break.
The cancellation was announced Friday during a special student
forum held at the end of the school day.
Chapman said the cancellation of May Jam is only part of the
school's response to the computer security breach. Chapman
also discussed the issue with students and held a meeting and
training with faculty members. New computer security
measures have also been installed.
From the outset of the incident, Superintendent Diana Bowers
has said it is important that the school community also learn
from the security violation. Toward that end, there is a series
of seminars scheduled for each day during the week of May 12.
These include:
+ Monday, development of the brain and the decision-making
process will be discussed;
+ Tuesday, school psychologist Courtney Richman will make
a presentation;
+ Wednesday, PE teacher and Athletic Director Bill
Dowsland will present a video of MRIs of brains under the
influence of drugs and alcohol;
+ Thursday, a discussion of cyber-safety;
+ and Friday, discussions at each grade level about what
students have learned.
Chapman also said several individual students will receive
sanctions because of their more serious involvement in the
security breach. School officials identified students who used
proxy servers, installed software that allowed them to control
other computers and downloaded and installed software to
record every keystroke of others on a computer.
The principal reiterated that while this sophisticated computer
espionage software was installed on the school's system, it was
not used to enter the confidential portion of system itself.
Mostly, the security breach allowed students to to bypass the
network's normal security and access Internet websites.
Chapman said students downloaded more than 118,000 pages.
Throughout the computer security investigation, Chapman said
he believed students understand the severity of the violation.
But, he also said he was surprised "that so many students made
the conscious decision to do this and justify it by saying
everyone does it."
Posted 2008.5.4