The Tech Herald reports
In a prime example of shooting the messenger, a 15-year old Clifton Park, NY student is now under arrest for computer trespass, unlawful possession of personal identification information and identity theft.
The charges were brought after the student, 10th-grader at Shenendehowa Central School, alerted his principal to the discovery of a database with 250 names of past and present transportation employees.
The school's website explains the start of the story.
"About 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday an e-mail was received by our high school principal informing him that the sender had access to a file that had demographic data about bus drivers. It was signed "A student." The N.Y.S. Police were immediately called and began their investigation into who sent the e-mail."
"In the meantime, the district's Information Services Department (IMS) began to investigate and discovered that two high school students had accessed the file from an internal computer using their student password. Due to a configuration error, this file was not completely secured from student password access after being moved to a new server."
So after admitting that the school improperly secured the employee data, instead of making heads roll within the Information Services Department, the school went after the student. The student, according to local news reports, has been in trouble in the past on unrelated computer mischief.
"This was a district computer at the high school," said Kelly DeFeciani, a school district spokesperson. "We have roaming profiles which show where the users have been when they are using the school computers. Everyone leaves footprints."
According to school officials, anyone with a district password - which includes staff and students - could have accessed the employee data.
Superintendent L. Oliver Robinson, referring to the student charged, said, "His genius was used in the wrong way."
State Police arrested the teen, charging him with computer trespass, unlawful possession of personal identification information and identity theft.
Yet, even investigators are positive the teen wasn't after the information for criminal intent. It was an instance of "Look what I can do," explained Therese Assalian, spokeswoman for the Clifton Park Civil Service Employee Union, citing what investigators had told her.
State Trooper Maureen Tuffey said that the student has been suspended from school, and could face more school related punishments pending a superintendent hearing. His juvenile status likely would prevent him from serving time in jail if convicted, Tuffey added.
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