iPod deemed a "criminal tool" in high school security breach

It was essentially inevitible that Nintendo's Wiimote was destined to become a weapon of mass destruction, and while we've seen folks jailed and even killed over an iPod, even we're a bit hesitant to call the blunt object a "criminal tool." Still, that's precisely what a former Clay High School junior was purportedly using when he "hacked into school personnel and student files" and transferred sensitive information to his dubious Pod. After threatening to "open up a credit card in someone's name and ruin their credit," school officials began to investigate the situation, and were quite relieved when they discovered the breach before any of the data was used with ill intentions. Currently, no court date has been set for the youngster's criminal case, but considering all the grief being endured in order to keep those files from leaving school grounds, one just has to wonder what secrets could possibly be held in those potentially steamy "personnel files."

[Thanks, Ray]

[js @ Feb 15th 2007 12:09PM]

It's all about the money. And iPods.

[Nabil @ Feb 15th 2007 12:20PM]

The kid just copied the files to his iPod. Sorry guys, ipods are not all they are cracked up to be.

[Shane @ Feb 15th 2007 12:26PM]

An iPod a criminal tool? I guess that means any portable hard drive or flash memory device could be considered the same if it were used in this manner...

Another example of something taken way too far...Couldn't the school have just dealt with this internally?

[therpham @ Feb 15th 2007 12:28PM]

BAN FLOPPY DISKS

[Kichigai Mentat @ Feb 15th 2007 8:33PM]

You know, my high school actually had rules against using 3.5" disks (and eventually flash drives) without permission from your teacher or the library staff. Of course, no one listened, and the school network is still up and running.

[Matt @ Feb 15th 2007 12:28PM]

Well, it was a tool used in a crime, I guess. But I still wouldn't call it a "criminal tool".

[Nick @ Feb 15th 2007 12:32PM]

I once did this when I was in High School. Used a little 256mb MP3 player I cant quite remember the name of. I do however, remember finding saved e-mails to my math teacher from his boyfriend, very naughty e-mails.

[Zeke @ Feb 15th 2007 12:35PM]

10 bucks says that he didn't "hack" into the files, but that administration was lazy and didn't follow common sense guidelines to secure their sensitive information. Schools rarely bother with information security, and usually don't have the funding necessary to hire a decent IT guy to do it for them. Sure, it doesn't make the kid any better a person, but it is your own damn responsibility to secure your information, not leave it open and expect that felony charges will protect you later.

[Shane @ Feb 15th 2007 12:36PM]

Heh. I was accused of this while in high school since I was the resident computer geek...Now I almost wish I really HAD hacked into something worthwhile!

[Mike @ Feb 15th 2007 12:37PM]

< ironic>iPods are made with hard drives or flash memory! Therefore hard drives and flash devices are "criminal tools"!!..... riiiiiiight....
However, if you kill someone with a gun, it's ok, the gun is not a "criminal tool"....< /ironic>

[Paul @ Feb 15th 2007 3:34PM]

Yeah... then its assault with a deadly weapon...

However, I agree that this is stupid. If I put on a pair of sneakers so I can run faster, then steal a ladies purse, are the sneakers a "criminal tool"?

Hell, all criminals use criminal tools, its stupid, their pants could be considered a criminal tool because if they didnt wear pants then they wouldn't be taken seriously.

Hmm.. The only way not to use a "Criminal Tool" then would be to commit crimes butt naked. But then again, this would be considered public indecency. Damn... the system is rigged!

[Vince D @ Feb 15th 2007 2:30PM]

Dude, chill. The tool isn't "criminal", it is an inanimate object, incapable of malice. Only human beings can have malice and intent, and thus commit acts that are criminal, the criminality does not inhere in objects but in the purposive actions of a person. The politicians are so afraid of us regular citizens that they want to criminalize anything they perceive as a threat - "When they came for the gun owners...ipod owners..." And they SHOULD be afraid of us, but taking away more liberties isn't going to help them one bit.

[IOTA @ Feb 15th 2007 12:47PM]

Neither of them are criminal tools on their own. What brand the memory device has on it is not relevant, that's just silly.

[Vince D @ Feb 15th 2007 10:27PM]

The only "criminal tools" here are the school officials who left their network vulnerable, LOL

[justdave @ Feb 15th 2007 12:47PM]

When I was at school (bout 10 years ago now) we got shiny admin access on our school network because the admin guy left a comp logged in, with netware admin on the screen, in one of our IT lessons. Took about 2 seconds to make an admin account then we were home free.

To be fair we only used them to chat to other people on the schools network (gave them access to the netware chat prog), and some other pretty benign stuff. We eventually got caught cause we got a bit blatant about it, but we all just got a slap on the wrists - to be fair we were all 'straight A' students, which probably had a fair bit to do with it. God forbid if we did it now tho, hi ho off to prison we go.

[Aaron @ Feb 15th 2007 5:28PM]

We abused the network for years due to lack of security but finally got busted when they found out the server crashes were caused by smoke grenades being thrown on 800mHz computers throughout the school. There was also the incident of "switch to de_dust" popping up on every computer in the county.

[Falcom @ Feb 15th 2007 12:48PM]

guns aren't criminal tools. Criminals are criminals, if there's no guns they'll use baseball bats. Are we going to outlaw baseball next? Go ahead, they'll use tree branches instead. Might as well burn all the trees down now and destroy every blunt object ever made. Once that's done we need to make shoes with laces illegal, cause you can use a shoelace to strangle someone, guess shoelaces are 'criminal objects' now too. Hell, i could kill you with my bare hands so i guess we should amputate everyones apendages. Guess we better get started on those servant robots soon cause i dont know how we'll feed ourselves as apendageless stubs.

[evan @ Feb 15th 2007 12:56PM]

I thought iPods were already illegal:

iPod's Illegal | Hail Zune360
http://www.microsoftisawesome.com/2007/02/ipods-illegal-hail-zune360.html

:)

[peejavery @ Feb 15th 2007 1:11PM]

Where did that picture of the iPod with a safe come from? Anyone know?

[Wellard @ Feb 15th 2007 1:20PM]

"Where did that picture of the iPod with a safe come from? Anyone know?"

I guess you never found the 'Lock iPod' option?

[Chicksta @ Feb 15th 2007 4:28PM]

Ah, kids. Back in my day, we just hacked into systems to change our grades and start global thermonuclear war.

[peejavery @ Feb 15th 2007 1:41PM]

Just found it. Thanks.

[Tavis Veighey @ Feb 15th 2007 1:25PM]

Any Mass Storage Device will do this! Not just an iPod, but any flashdrive, MP3 player that supports Mass Storage mode, or even portable hard drives!

This has been a known securiy threat for ages now! Many IT professionals have taken to putting Super Glue in USB Ports to prevent this from happening. (Yea there are software solutions, but they can easily be dissabled)

[Eric @ Feb 15th 2007 1:54PM]

Has anyone seen my Commodore 64?

[Keyth Halloween @ Feb 15th 2007 4:31PM]

Damn that PAPER! Criminal tool that it is, it has been used to record criminals' plots, plans, data, and intentions for centuries!!!

Equal guilt should be directed at the PENCIL, too!

[Tony Carreon @ Feb 15th 2007 2:12PM]

I remember this one time I had to use an iPod to steal financial data because terrorists were holding my wife and kid hostage...

[NoFrills @ Feb 26th 2007 6:06AM]

If iPods are outlawed, only outlaws will listen to iPods.

[pingwhen @ Feb 15th 2007 2:33PM]

i hacked my schools data base in my school (crooms aiot (sanford fl) 3 kids got caught all 3 got charged and screwed. one kid is not aloud to touch a computer with internet till he is 18, he was 15 last year. so ya i wouldnt try any of this stuff. its really easy to do now adays with the way schools are

we had every grade for every student, we had all the attendence records and everything we put it on all of out ipods, i myself have a 60 gig with all of it still on there.

its not smart and it makes u stress like a mother... its no fun

[Mike @ Feb 15th 2007 2:51PM]

"I remember this one time I had to use an iPod to steal financial data because terrorists were holding my wife and kid hostage..."

Haha! That movie sucked. I hate it when nancyboys play villains. At least that guy was more hardcore than Stephen Dorff in Blade.

[Alex Aossey @ Feb 15th 2007 4:46PM]

Hah! I graduated from CHS in 2005. My mother also works at the high school, and she told me about this the day it happened. Apparently the FBI was involved with the investigation (according to her). Nice to see my hometown news making it onto Engadget.

[Mickey @ Feb 15th 2007 7:19PM]

WOOO! Toledo. I hadn't actually heard about this story until now, even though I go to school about ten minutes from Clay High School. That's kind of a surprise to me, and I'm wondering where he had access to any servers containing that kind of info at high school.

[tau zero @ Feb 16th 2007 12:51AM]

if anything, those school officials are tools.

[Jeff Lusion @ Feb 16th 2007 10:57AM]

this is the stupidest thing ever... i actually forwarded this to the origincal reporter... and i also did the exact same thing 5 years ago when i was in the exact same school.

shows how much the security has improved in access databases...

[SH @ Feb 19th 2007 1:16AM]

pingwhen: If I had 4th grade grammar skills I wouldn't be bragging about being a 'leet hacker. You just make yourself look pitiful.

"aloud" hahahaha!

What's the world coming to?