Student database to attract hackers

Okay, so while we're bagging on Queensland, here's a couple of articles (Ars Technica, ZDNet) on a proposed and apparently non-negotiable database of Queensland students, including their

things like photos, career aspirations, off-campus activities, contact information, behavior records, attendance, and performance records.

But don't worry: the minister has declared that it won't be hackable, and we all know how well politicians understand hacking, and how well hackers behave when politely asked. And of course no hackers might want to use that information for nefarious purposes neither.

Do these people have no idea? For a start, when you set up a system, computer-based or not, that benefits only the administrators, it follows as night follows that bright part of the diurnal rotation it's hard to sleep through that it will end up being abused, because there's no motive for the administrators to ensure that it is accurate and secure. It's databasing for the sake of it. A bit like freebasing, I think, only for public servants and politicians.

Tags

More like this

It's not just a science thing, it's also an ethics thing. The truth is good. Departures from it, more often than not, get you into trouble. A couple examples: The Guarantee of Medical Accuracy in Sex Education Act was recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. Wouldn't you think…
Roy, writing at Shrink Rap, has a post about the prospect of online access to prescription records in the State of California.  The attorney general is proposing a database of all prescription records, that could be accessed by doctors and pharmacists.   href="http://psychiatrist-blog.blogspot.…
There have been stories and novels about the end of privacy.  1984, by George Orwell, comes to mind.  I also remember reading a science fiction short story once, about how technology had made privacy so difficult to maintain, and so accepted by society, that it was considered rude to want privacy…
A colleague of mine sent around this link to the Chronicle (behind firewall, boo!) for some advice on how to stay healthy, even perhaps happy, while working on your dissertation. See the ideas after the fold. By author Piper Fogg: Learn to recognize the signs of depression and anxiety and don't…

Hmmm...sounds like deliberate HAXX0R bait. Just a bit of raw and wriggling data to pull those dangerous nerds out of the woodwork so they can be "detained" as "terrorists".

Martin

Of course, hackers being hackers, they're not going to be deterred by an obvious lure. It's just another opportunity to prove they're smarter than the security programmers.

By Ian H Spedding FCD (not verified) on 17 Jun 2008 #permalink

All this database needs is a huge flashing sign:

HACK ME! HACK ME! HACK ME!!!!!!

OTOH, I suppose a sign would be redundant. Just saying "hackproof" in the fine print is enough.

By themadlolscientist (not verified) on 17 Jun 2008 #permalink

Idiots. This is so dumb.

By Brian English (not verified) on 17 Jun 2008 #permalink

Could re-publishing ( they made it visible in the first place) the names and mobile phone numbers of the project officers responsible (!!??) for deploying the oneschool "managed operating environment" thoughout the state be considered to be poetic justice, giving them a taste of what they exposing the kids to, invasion of privacy? I say yes, so here they are:
Milton Chalker 0427 625 537
Mark Boustead 0428 785 790
Lex Plant 0428 714 716
Greg Moulder 0419 170 163
Ian Rosenberg 0417 607 830
Elizabeth McGowan 0427 032 284
Rudy Schumann 0427 135 414
Jason Raaschou 0407 599 251
Paul McDonald 0409 347 006
Darren Howlett 0428 755 494

The names and mobile numbers of the district liason officers reponsible (!!??) for implementing the monster can be found at
http://education.qld.gov.au/oneschool/district_liaison_officers.html

Gee, they make it hard don't they? Doesn't it inspire confidence in them? Not.

And if you want to see what the data records are actually like, mine's contained in this document which the department has shown everyone:
http://education.qld.gov.au/oneschool/docs/change_management/cm_bsm_sup…

Cheers, Kirsty.

By Kirsty Thor (not verified) on 18 Jun 2008 #permalink

My god, is that your real data? That is appalling. I was going to anonymise the phone numbers you put up there but on reflection I think I will leave them there.

the only thing i don't like about it is the fact that they have taken away the right click button, apart from everything else its fine