Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 7, 2004)
Darkwing security breached University counsel advised the Computing Center not to reveal the way in which the system was compromised By Parker Howell News Reporter Students and faculty members who use the University's Darkwing computing system may have had their confidential information re vealed on May 23 in what is being described by officials as a "major se curity breach." The attack occurred when an "in truder gained unauthorized root ac cess to darkwing.uoregon.edu," ac cording to a May 26 e-mail that Administrative Services and Com puting Facilities Director Susan Milton posted to the Departmental Computing Group Mailing List. By accessing the root, or main directory, of the Darkwing server, the attacker "obtained copies of Darkwing's en crypted authentication data," poten tially allowing the attacker to deter mine users' private information that was stored on the server. A check of the system's files showed that the intruder did not modify any other files on the server, however, indicating that the attack was limited to unauthorized access to information, according to the e mail. Darkwing users were required to change their passwords by June 1 in order to prevent additional at tacks. The Computing Center is aware of the means the intruder used during the attack and has "taken steps to mitigate that attack," according to the e-mail. But it remains unclear whether the identity of the party or parties who committed the attack is known. Computing Center Senior Systems Manager Robert Jones confirmed that someone infiltrated the system and said the problem has been remedied, but he declined further comment. Associate Vice President for Strate gic Communications Harry Battson said the attacker just compromised passwords, resulting in the need for all Darkwing users to change their passwords. 'The impact is that we recognize that there was a breach of the passwords.... It's just another good reason for people to change passwords frequently." Harry Battson Associate vice president for strategic communications "The impact is that we recognize that there was a breach of the pass words," he said. "It's just another good reason for people to change passwords frequently." Battson said the Computing Cen ter corrected the problem quickly. "No critical information was com promised," he said, adding that he could not discuss details of the attack so as not to encourage other hackers. Battson did say that law enforce ment is investigating the attack, but he would not specify what agency or agencies are handling the case. "This incident is under investiga tion by appropriate law authorities," he said, Eugene Police Department spokeswoman Pam Olshanski said EPD is aware of the cyber attack but is not investigating it. Beth Anne Steele, spokeswoman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Portland office, said she could not comment on whether the FBI is investigating the attack. University Cenerai Counsel Melinda Crier said she advised the Computing Center not to discuss in formation about the breach that would encourage further attacks or hinder law enforcement efforts relat ed to the attack. " We wanted to be especially cau tious about relating something that would compromise security," she said. "We don't want to make any thing worse than it is." Some faculty members disagreed about how the attack was handled, however. Daniel Graham, who sup ports a system similar to Darkwing for the Institute of Molecular Biolo gy, said an attacker who gains root access can read all files stored on the system. "It's full-blown access, unfortu nately," he said, adding that the breach may have been significant. "1 have a feeling that the way they're hushing things up, they took more than passwords. Usually, you would n't be so secretive about stealing password files." Graham said computer depart ments usually share information with each other about security breaches so that other administra tors can fix security holes in their systems, but Computing Services had not revealed the nature of the security breach. "It's just driving us nuts," he said. "It's sort of frustrating to those of us who in the past have always shared information." He said computer support staff, not hackers, have been hindered by the lack of information. "So far, the only people who have been kept in the dark are those who need to (fix similar problems)," he said. Graham added that the May 25 e mail sent to Darkwing users about password changes looked like a scam e-mail and confused some users. He said hackers often employ similar e mails that obtain information by having the recipient click on a link that leads the user to transmit private information. Graham said his department has trained users not to use similar links. "I had people who just didn't do it," he said. Linda Foley, Executive Director of the Identity Theft Resource Center, said attacks on university computer systems are not unusual. "The reality is that most of these computer breaches don't seem to in volve identify theft," she said. She said students should check their credit records for suspicious en tries even if they do not suspect iden tity theft from a specific breach. Students and staff who did not change their password by the dead line must do so to access their ac counts. Individuals can change their passwords at https://password.uore gon.edu if they know their username and old password or the personal ac cess code (PAC) used for DuckWeb. Contact the city/state politics reporter at parkerhowell@dailyemerald.com. FOR BOOKS. June 2-12 UO Bookstore Main Regular Store Hours June 7-11 EMU Lobby Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Duck Shop at Autzen Monday - Thursday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Friday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. UO ID Required. UNIVERSITY OF OREGON BOOKSTORE Advertise mtke ODE classifieds _Call 346-4343 or place your ad online www.dailyemerald.com NEWS BRIEFS Flux magazine release party honors publication Students are invited to attend a release party today to celebrate the publication of the 2004 issue of Flux magazine, which is created by stu dents in the School of Journalism and Communication. The event will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at DIVA (Downtown Initiative for the Visual Arts) on the corner of Broadway and Olive Streets. The event will feature "THE ART OF FLUX," an exhibit of some of the most compelling, prize-winning photography from current and past issues of Flux. The students.who wrote, edited, designed and took the photographs for the magazine and its online counterpart, inFlux, will attend. Refreshments and copies of the magazine will be provided, along with a video display of Web only features. This year's issue contains profiles of a Portland grandmother who is raising her incarcerated daughter's five children, a young man making the difficult decision to enter the priesthood, the acclaimed docu mentary photographer Mary Ellen Mark and a student who learns to cope with sudden blindness with help from a teacher who also lost his sight years before. The new issue also contains a personal essay by a student living with lupus, a photo essay documenting the many vari eties of marriage, features about the resurgence of ukulele music, the out door adventure sport called geo caching and a Brazilian dance/mar tial art form called capoeira, and stories about birth control and men tal illness. The inFlux Web site contains video, audio, animation and extra stories and sidebars along with the stories included in the print version. The magazine and its online com panion are created in a class offered spring term, Magazine Production, by a staff of more than 30 students. — Jennifer Marie Bear Music Building will have much-needed makeover Many talented University students must practice playing their musical instruments in hallways and rest rooms due to a lack of practicing rooms in the Music Building. Clos ets and storage rooms also have been converted to offices, with up to four graduate teaching fellows per space. Soon, space will no longer be an issue at the Music Building, thanks to S2.35 million in donations which will help expand the School of Mu sic. Nearly 500 music majors and 4,000 other students practice and perform in a 83-year-old building designed to accommodate only 300. The staff at the music school plans to raise $7.6 million in private funds and matching state bonds to expand and renovate the building. So far, six donors have given $2.35 million to ward that goal. Thelma and Gilbert Schnitzer do nated $250,000 to create a new small performance space. The Thel ma Schnitzer Hall will include a grand piano and will host small recitals and performances, as well as be a 148-student classroom. The new room will be equipped with permanent risers and new audio-vi sual equipment. "Music and education have always been important to our family," said the Schnitzers in a press release. "We are both grateful for the education that we received at the University of Oregon, and this gift is a wonderful way to share our love of music by helping music students of tomor row. " Other donors include Audrey Aasen-Hull, Kathleen Daugherty, Richards Grubbe and Leona and Robert DeArmond. Lisa Catto SYNERGY continued from page 5A bands featured in the magazine. "My goal was to focus on the graphic design pretty heavily," he said. Abbott recruited the six writers with the help of his advisor, Profes sor Mary-Kate Mackey, who teaches Magazine I. Mackey had never heard of such an ambitious project piloted by an undergraduate, but said it was Abbott's resilience that got him through the grueling process. "He just stuck to it," she said. "That makes the difference between someone who dreams and someone who delivers." Contact the people/culture/ faith reporter at moriahbalingit@dailyemerald.com. CAMPUS Monday Art exhibit entitled “The Student Furniture Show" featuring work by students of Professor Wayne Jew ett, Monday-Sunday, LaVerne Krause Gallery, Lawrence Hall, Opening reception 6-8 p.m. Monday. Wednesday Officers of Administration Council, EMU Umpqua Room, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Campus Planning Committee meeting, EMU Metolius Room, 1:30-3 p.m. Thursday Associate vice president for Information Services candidate presentation by John Streck from North Carolina State University, Browsing Room, Knight Library, 10:15-11:20 a.m. Friday Oregon ballroom dance, Room 220, Gerlinger Hall, 7:30-11:30 p.m.
