Students breach district computer system

Published 2:57 pm Monday, November 19, 2007

Ten Shorewood High School students breached the Shoreline School District’s security system on their district-issued laptops to remotely control other students’ computers.

A district parent reported the breach last week when it became clear that the cursor on their child’s laptop was being moved by someone else.

The problem was quickly patched and the students can no longer access other district laptops, said Craig Degginger, public information officer for the Shoreline School District.

Every middle and high school student in the district has a take-home lap top that is supposed to be used for academic work.

“(The students) were able to get into administrative functions of the machines,” Degginger said.

The takeover didn’t let the hackers open files, destroy data or spread viruses, but it did let them move the mouse and chat, he said.

There was no damage to files or the computers, and no viruses were spread, Degginger said.

“(It was) not out of any maliciousness or intent to damage,” he said. “It was an ill-advised prank.”

A person whose laptop has been taken over remotely sees the cursor moving around the screen independently, Degginger said.

He said the district isn’t sure how many student computers were taken over.

“(It’s) not believed to be a large number,” he said.

Degginger declined to comment on how the students would be disciplined, but said the student discipline policy would be followed and that their actions violated the acceptable use policy students signed to get their laptops.

A report of the incident was made to the Shoreline Police Department Oct. 26.

At press time, the report had not been written up and was not available. The school’s resource police officer, Rob Bardsley, could not be reached before press time.

Degginger said the district is still investigating the incident.