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Middle school student charged with felony for computer prank

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by Carl Herrera, Apr 10, 2015.

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Carl Herrera Contributing Member

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http://www.tampabay.com/news/public...t-charged-with-cyber-crime-in-holiday/2224827

HOLIDAY — A middle school student who said he was just trying to play a prank on a teacher he didn't like was charged with a cybercrime Wednesday after authorities said he hacked into his school's secure computer network.

The Pasco County Sheriff's Office has charged Domanik Green, an eighth-grader at Paul R. Smith Middle School, with an offense against a computer system and unauthorized access, a felony. Sheriff Chris Nocco said Thursday that Green logged onto the school's network on March 31 using an administrative-level password without permission. He then changed the background image on a teacher's computer to one showing two men kissing.

One of the computers Green, 14, accessed also had encrypted 2014 FCAT questions stored on it, though the sheriff and Pasco County School District officials said Green did not view or tamper with those files.

"Even though some might say this is just a teenage prank, who knows what this teenager might have done," Nocco said.

But Green, interviewed at home, said students would often log into the administrative account to screen-share with their friends. They'd use the school computers' cameras to see each other, he said.

Green had previously received a three-day suspension for accessing the system inappropriately. Other students also got in trouble at the time, he said. It was a well-known trick, Green said, because the password was easy to remember: a teacher's last name. He said he discovered it by watching the teacher type it in.

Green said that on the morning in question, he accessed the computer that stored the FCAT files and, realizing that computer didn't have a camera, found another.

"So I logged out of that computer and logged into a different one and I logged into a teacher's computer who I didn't like and tried putting inappropriate pictures onto his computer to annoy him," Green said.

The teacher he was targeting was out that day. Instead, the substitute teacher saw the picture and reported it to the school's administration.

The teen's mother, Eileen Foster, said she understands her son did something wrong, but doesn't think he needed to be arrested. Also, she said, it shouldn't have been so easy for students to access the system.

The school district is in the process of changing the network password, district spokeswoman Linda Cobbe said.

The sheriff said Green's case should be a warning to other students: "If information comes back to us and we get evidence (that other kids have done it), they're going to face the same consequences," Nocco said.

Green was released on Wednesday from Land O'Lakes Detention Center into the custody of his mother. He'll likely be granted pretrial intervention by a judge, sheriff's detective Anthony Bossone said.

Green also received a 10-day school suspension. It's unclear if he'll return to Paul R. Smith to complete the school year after the suspension.
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A couple thoughts:

1. The computer security at this school is totally lacking. If you actually have important standardize test questions stored on a system, you can't have the protection being only a password that consist of a teacher's last name.

2. Using the criminal law system to address a school discipline matter is completely asinine.

#1 Carl Herrera, Apr 10, 2015

Pizza_Da_Hut I put on pants for this?

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Give him the chair. How dare he undermine an educator.

#2 Pizza_Da_Hut, Apr 10, 2015
MadMax Contributing Member

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#3 MadMax, Apr 10, 2015

1 person likes this.
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Kid is goin places

#4 GanjaRocket, Apr 10, 2015
jank1434 Contributing Member

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What a haxorz

#5 jank1434, Apr 10, 2015
tim562 Contributing Member

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Instead of charging him, they should be hiring him. Find out what he knows and apply it to strengthen the Govt Computer Security System.

#6 tim562, Apr 10, 2015
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It's a good thing they caught him now, because later on he could potentially join a terrorist organization like Anonymous, LulzSec, or the Syrian Electronic Army.

#7 Mr. Brightside, Apr 10, 2015

ima_drummer2k Contributing Member

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MadMax said: ↑

Click to expand...

Dammit!

Gotta be quick around here...

#8 ima_drummer2k, Apr 10, 2015
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Mr. Brightside said: ↑

It's a good thing they caught him now, because later on he could potentially join a terrorist organization like Anonymous, LulzSec, or the Syrian Electronic Army.
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Rumors say he is going to join ISIS.
The inappropriate picture he placed on his teacher's computer was actually a symbolic Fatwa issued to his teacher. Good on the federal government for nipping this terrorist in the bud.

#9 RedRedemption, Apr 10, 2015
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Terrible security on the passwords and computer supervision should have gotten someone on the staff in serious trouble if not fired.

Can't say the kid doesn't deserve some sort of legal intervention though. He already got suspended from school once for doing something similar, that didn't scare him straight and there comes a point when the limits of school discipline just doesn't phase some kids. It's not likely he will actually go to jail over this, as the article noted that he will likely be granted pretrial intervention by the judge. If he can keep his side of whatever deal they make and he doesn't get in any more trouble over the next 1-2 years it will be wiped from his record.

#10 morpheus133, Apr 10, 2015
FLASH21 Heart O' Champs

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ima_drummer2k said: ↑

Dammit!

Gotta be quick around here...
Click to expand...

#11 FLASH21, Apr 10, 2015
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They finally busted that notorious hacker 4chan.

#12 Hou_rox, Apr 10, 2015
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School computer networks have absolutely no security. We used to do hoodrat stuff like this to our technology teacher. She made us listen to Enya--we would lock her out of her computer or remove her printer access and send thousands of dumb photos to print--she'd tell the class not to help and that the printer just had to run it's course. Poor woman.

The real issue here is why would the FCAT (huh?) questions be sent out in digital form? No administrators should be able to access the questions. It's not as if the school is responsible for printing exams. I'm assuming it's to provide special accommodation for students with disabilities but I still can't see a purpose.

#13 bobloblaw, Apr 10, 2015

shastarocket Contributing Member

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Modern day Zero Cool

#14 shastarocket, Apr 10, 2015
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Carl Herrera said: ↑

A couple thoughts:

1. The computer security at this school is totally lacking. If you actually have important standardize test questions stored on a system, you can't have the protection being only a password that consist of a teacher's last name.

2. Using the criminal law system to address a school discipline matter is completely asinine.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately some of these kids are smart and motivated enough that they can do real administrative damage. The criminal charges fully describe and appraise the kids' actions in a way that forces some less engaged parents to pay attention.

#15 Dairy Ashford, Apr 10, 2015
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shastarocket said: ↑

Modern day Zero Cool
Click to expand...

Pool on the roof must have sprung a leak.

#16 professorjay, Apr 10, 2015

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MadMax said: ↑

Click to expand...

SHALL WE PLAY A GAME? PLEASE ENTER MY BACKDOOR WITH YOUR ASSWORD.

#17 Surfguy, Apr 10, 2015
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I'm very disappointed in this kid. He manages to get into the system, but the best prank he can conceive is a gay kiss picture?

#18 Hammer755, Apr 11, 2015

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FLASH21 said: ↑

Click to expand...

damn, i was going to post that

#19 heypartner, Apr 11, 2015
Carl Herrera Contributing Member

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pouhe said: ↑

Unfortunately some of these kids are smart and motivated enough that they can do real administrative damage. The criminal charges fully describe and appraise the kids' actions in a way that forces some less engaged parents to pay attention.
Click to expand...

In this case, though, the kid really didn't have to be that smart to get into the system: It is protected only by a password that consist of a teacher's last name, which students have seen teachers enter. He didn't seem all that motivated to do much with the "break-in," either. All he did was change a profile picture when there are standardized test question on the system, which he left untouched.

I suppose it might make sense to threaten prosecution as a "warning shot" given that the students has already been suspended once from school for a similar incident. But it looks like a bigger issue is the school's computer system security is just inadequate. Why wasn't it addressed if the school was aware that kids have accessed the systems before?

#20 Carl Herrera, Apr 11, 2015

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