CR80News | Hackers hijack Oregon University Web site to condemn U.S. position on Iran

Friday, June 26, 2009

Imagine going to a university Web site and instead of seeing information about the school, you see a letter criticizing the United States’ Iran policy and claiming that “we never cheated in elections.” That’s what happened to Oregon University’s site earlier this week.

According to a university spokesperson, a hacker or hackers obviously favoring Iran’s current administration, hijacked the school’s Web site, redirecting visitors to the site claiming to be “from Iran.” The site was up for 90 minutes before the breach was discovered and the site repaired.

The hack is also a good example of what can happen if the latest security updates aren’t installed. The university said the hackers probably accessed a free program that documents what areas of Web sites are being clicked most. Unfortunately, the university had not downloaded the most recent security update.

More than 4,000 University of Maine students’ personal information may have been compromised in a recent server breach, according to Seacoast Online.

Accessed was a pair of files servers on the university’s Orno campus, containing names and Social Security numbers, as well as confidential clinical records dating back to 2002. Officials reported that the servers contained information about 4,585 students who have sought mental health services from the campus counseling center.

University Business, Higher One honors Models of Efficiency

University Business Magazine and Higher One are honoring seven colleges and universities in their summer 2010 Models of Efficiency program, to honor institutions of higher learning that meet the education business and technology challenges of today’s campuses.

Mandatory meal plan spurs student lawsuit

Three Auburn University students aren’t thrilled with the school’s mandatory meal plan. They’re so “not thrilled” that they’ve filed suit against the university, claiming the plan violates restraint of trade and Alabama law.

VASCO advises schools to secure their online platforms

More schools are now using online platforms to distribute and exchange information, such as course documents and online tests. These same online platforms also serve as an administrative tool, containing personal data on students and staff. To prevent identity and data theft, online applications used by schools and universities need to be protected.

Loyola expands campus card program

Loyola University, Chicago, is offering more buying power for its students through the campus card program, allowing them for the first time to take the card off-campus at local dining establishments. The program will start small, focusing on a handful of restaurants.

UTA security breach exposes 30,000 medical files

The University of Texas at Arlington was recently victimized by an outside computer attack, which resulted in unauthorized access to medical files belonging to nearly 30,000 faculty, staff and students, according to a local news report.

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Hackers hijack Oregon University Web site to condemn U.S. position on Iran