AG Instructs Colleges to Improve Their Web Security

Citing an online hacking case at SCSU (Southern Connecticut State University) as an illustration, Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal warned private and public Connecticut colleges on April 23, 2008 to enhance their security systems of the personal data they maintain on their servers, as reported by Connpost on April 23, 2008.

The warning was issued to 19 public and 27 private universities and colleges in Connecticut, following the SCSU incident on April 9, 2008. The university had discovered the hack when a routine review of its Web server security was conducted.

According to Blumenthal, someone recently gained unauthorized access to one of the Southern's servers that contained 11,000 names, Social Security numbers along with other confidential information.

The university, which believes that the hacking activity is done by people from outside the US, is coordinating with the office of Connecticut's attorney general for an investigation.

The criminals, who hacked the university's Web server, had mishandled the SCSU site for a spamming operation. They had been using the server to host their own site. Meanwhile, the security breach affects both current students and students of the 2002 batch.

University officials said that students submitted a vast amount of sensitive data relating to their personal and financial activities. So, if anyone invaded the university's systems the families and parents of those students could be at risk.

Several ads for Cialis, Viagra and diamond rings appeared on the university's Website. When the IT staff noticed them, they found the file with the confidential information. The university immediately blocked its registration over the net for the new term graduation programs and put away the file to safety. Fortunately, no indication has emerged of the student data being used for identity theft.

Blumenthal has asked everyone whose private information might be in danger to maintain constant vigilance by reviewing their credit and bank statements to safeguard their personal identity as well as financial integrity.

He has also recommended to the colleges that they should take out all personal information from their Web servers, and inventory, the systems where such information is stored and also list persons who have access to such data.

Related article: Asia the new breeding ground for spam

» SPAMfighter News - 29-04-2008

All SPAMfighter products offer a free trial!

SPAMfighter is a free spam filter for Outlook, Outlook Express,Windows Mail, Windows Live Mail and Thunderbird.

Optimize your Slow PC for better performance. Try FREE scan now

Disk space recovery
and disk optimization. Try FULL-DISKfighter free

SPAMfighter Exchange Module is a Spam filter for Exchange server - Free 30 days trial.

Remove Spyware with SPYWAREfighter - Free 30 days trial

Antivirus software for your Windows PC - Free 30 days trial