F's changed to A's via computer system

[Bob and Cecelia <n3lym@amsat.org>]

Folks,

Some things never change. Of course, such deltoid mischief was 
for "educational" purposes, not changing of grades...  :-)

Here's the article from the News Journal. Dan Grim is quoted.

-Bob

http://www.delawareonline.com/newsjournal/local/2002/07/16studentaccusedo.html

Student accused of grade scam at UD
F's changed to A's via computer system 

By DENNIS THOMPSON JR.
Staff reporter
07/16/2002

A University of Delaware student has been charged with breaking into the 
school computer system three times in June to give herself passing grades, 
according to university police. 

Darielle Insler, a 22-year-old junior, allegedly gained access to the 
school's computer system twice by impersonating her instructors in phone 
calls to human resources employees, UD police officer Charles J. Wilson said 
in a court affidavit. She allegedly requested a new password for each 
instructor, and then logged into the system using their new passwords. 

She also allegedly gained access to the system once by guessing another 
teacher's password, court documents said. 

Insler would not comment when reached by telephone Monday at her home in 
Leonia, N.J., saying "the case has not gone to court yet, so I'm not speaking 
about it." 

Insler is charged with altering her grades in a math class and a science 
class from F's to A's, the police affidavit said. She also allegedly altered 
an incomplete grade to a passing grade for an education class focusing on 
literature and literacy. The grade changes happened in the first three weeks 
of June, after the university's spring semester was over. 

Insler is charged with multiple counts of identity theft, criminal 
impersonation, unauthorized access of a computer system and misuse of 
information on a computer system. She is free on $5,500 bail awaiting trial 
in Delaware Superior Court. 

Cynthia Cummings, associate vice president for campus life, said she could 
not comment on any disciplinary action the university might consider against 
Insler, who is still a student. 

Gerry Turkel, president of the Delaware chapter of the American Association 
of University Professors, said the offense is serious and the university 
needs to take steps to insure its computer systems are secure. 

"The integrity of the grading system has to be protected," he 
said. "Otherwise, ultimately you could undermine the value of a degree from 
the university." 

Computer break-ins to alter grades are rare at the University of Delaware and 
other colleges nationwide, experts said Monday. 

Dan Grim, executive director of network and systems services for UD, said 
this is the first such incident he is aware of in his 26 years at the Newark 
university. 

The same is true nationally, said Sheldon Steinbach, general counsel for the 
American Council on Education, an association of colleges and universities. 

"Schools have become increasingly sophisticated over the last decade in 
protecting valuable institutional information," Steinbach said. 

But the sort of tactics Insler allegedly used are commonly employed by people 
breaking into computer systems, said Capt. David Citro, unit commander of the 
Delaware State Police's High Technology Crimes Unit. 

"It's the easier way, because you don't really need the computer expertise or 
know-how," he said. "Instead of handling the computer, you're handling the 
people." 

Bruce Raker, the manager of UD's Management Information Service, said his 
office has responded by installing an e-mail procedure that will notify an 
employee when his or her password is changed. 

But Raker, who helped track down Insler by tracing the computers she 
allegedly used, said human resources should not have changed the password. 

"They're not supposed to do this over the phone," he said. 

Cummings said the university's security measures are being reviewed. 

Posing as math instructor Lauren Goggins, Insler allegedly called human 
resources on June 4 and asked to change her password, court documents said. 
The human resources worker complied, even though she later told police the 
voice on the phone sounded "young, high-pitched, and desperate," according to 
police affidavits. 

Insler allegedly changed her science grade on June 5, after she guessed the 
password of her teacher, Omar Guerrero, court documents said. 

On June 19, as university police were investigating the first two grade 
changes, the human resources office received a call from a young female 
identifying herself as instructor Eleanor Kaufmann and requesting a new 
password for her account. The human resources officials changed the password, 
then alerted police. 

Police called Raker and told him that someone soon would access Kaufmann's 
account. Within an hour, someone had changed Insler's grade in Kaufmann's 
class using the teacher's new password to log in, court documents said.