Last year, Lawrence was hit with it’s first reported keylogger attack at KU. It’s a problem sweeping the country. The problem in Lawrence is mild compared to some schools.
For example, one student changes his grades 90 times in a 21-month period along with five of his friends. That article explains why schools are a target.
“Keyloggers are cheap, they’re easy, and the targets – schools and universities – too often have paltry budgets for equipment, software and skilled administrators.”
While I’m sure KU has upped their security since then, it just takes one mistake for a hacker to install a keylogger. Free State and Lawrence High School should be on alert as students applying to colleges might try to do this.
With all these attacks, the patterns are the same
- Someone uses a public computer to enter in grades or
- They fail to notice something attached to their computer
If you’re responsible for entering in people’s grades, do it on your own private computer. If you see something unusual connected to the computer, don’t put in your password. Instead call your IT department. If you can’t call them, call us!
Photo by Robbert van der Steeg