Forwarded from: William Knowles <wk@c4i.org>
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wauk/dec05/377589.asp
By DAVID DOEGE
ddoege @ journalsentinel.com
Dec. 13, 2005
Waukesha - Brookfield police this week seized computer gear from the
home of an 18-year-old student who said he illegally accessed Elmbrook
School District computer records, according to documents filed in
circuit court Tuesday.
The student told a police detective investigating the computer
break-in that he used "password cracking" software to access district
records, then obtained an administrator's password, "which allowed him
further access to confidential computer records," according to an
affidavit used by investigators to obtain a search warrant for the
teen's home.
The affidavit indicates that a police investigation into a school
district computer break-in began in August and that at least one other
student obtained the illegal access.
When police visited the 18-year-old student's home Monday, according
to the affidavit, he and his parents allowed investigators inside, but
they refused permission to seize personal computers they had in the
home.
After obtaining a search warrant later in the day, police returned to
the family's home Monday night and left with four computer towers, a
laptop computer, discs, papers and other equipment, according to an
inventory attached to the warrant and affidavit when they were filed
in Waukesha County Circuit Court Tuesday afternoon.
Elmbrook School Superintendent Matthew Gibson said Tuesday that two
Brookfield Central students were believed to have been involved in the
computer break-in and that both have been suspended.
Gibson said he did not yet know the depth of the students' access into
district records and whether any damage was done or sensitive
information was compromised.
"It's difficult to respond to questions right now because it's early
in our investigation," Gibson said.
The police affidavit provides the following information:
Brookfield Central High School Principal Donald Labonte met with
police Aug. 25 and reported that several days earlier, he received an
e-mail from a student who questioned the calculation of her grade
point average and class ranking.
Labonte told police that he was aware of "an incident at Brookfield
East High School where school computer security had been compromised
through access to the computers without consent."
Police subsequently began a probe aimed at determining whether
"students or others" accessed district records.
The student whose home was visited by police on Monday said that he
"watched another student illegally access" district records in April.
The student said that after he subsequently gained access, he
downloaded the password cracking software to his flash drive device
and later to a personal computer in his home.
© 2005, Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved
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