Category: Internet and web

Hacked, and possibly hijacked, one ID at a time

More than 22,000 current and former University of Missouri-Columbia students are the potential victims of identity theft after a malicious hack attack last week. How the hackers broke into the server is interesting. As noted in Computerworld, the attack came by way of a web form used to track the status of helpdesk queries.

IT staffers noticed unusual activity that began around 5:30 a.m. CDT last Thursday, then tied a large number of database query errors to the problem on Friday. Logs showed that the attacks ended at 9:34 a.m. Friday. That day, technicians disabled the account used to access the database from one IP address in China and another in Australia. The FBI was alerted on Monday.

“The hacker was able to reach the information by making thousands of queries over a span of hours, allowing the identities to be exposed one at a time,” the university reported.

Thanks to Wired Campus for the Computerworld link.

Friday Five: Cinco de Mayo Eve edition

Happy Cinco de Mayo Eve, gentle reader. I don’t know about you, but all week long I’ve been thinking about kicking back on Saturday with some homemade guacamole, a few cervezas and some appropriate music (or, better yet, some Los Straitjackets!) for the holiday. Perhaps it’s more spring fever than anything. Anyway, in honor of this special day, I offer cinco cosas to ponder this Friday:

  • Katie Couric rated ‘most negative’ among network news anchors. So says a new poll (link via I Want Media). Who would’ve thought that perky Katie Couric would be a nattering nabob of negativity? Well, she isn’t, despite the headlines. A full 51 percent of those surveyed said they had a positive view of CBS’ Couric. It’s just that more people surveyed think more highly of NBC’s Brian Williams and ABC’s Charles Gibson.
  • EducationPR provides some good blog coverage of the National Education Writers Association conference in L.A.
  • Three higher ed blogs I’d like to see updated more often: College v2 (last updated in February), University Web Marketing and Usability (last updated March 22) and, of course, eRelevant (silent since March 30).
  • Fuzzy Content discusses social networks growing up and sheds light on a couple new networks. (While we’re on the topic of social networks, don’t forget about the latest one for higher ed PR/marketing practitioners, Higher Ed Experts, which combines social networking with professional development.)
  • My top five albums of 2007, thus far:
    1. Living With the Living, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. Rock and roll and politics.
    2. Neon Bible, Arcade Fire. I never thought they could improve upon their debut, Funeral. I’m happy to say I was wrong. More Springsteen than the Smiths, but I’m OK with it.
    3. Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? Of Montreal. Fun, experimental, ebullient stuff from Athens, Georgia’s quirkiest band since the B-52s.
    4. Sermon on Exposition Boulevard, Rickie Lee Jones. A beautiful ragamuffin interpretation of spiritual concepts.
    5. We’ll Never Turn Back, Mavis Staples. Mississippi Delta blues and gospel at its core from one of the Staples Singers.

      6. Interestingly, all are available for download at eMusic, which offers the best deal for independent music lovers. Better than iTunes, IMNSHO.