Russia Today America reports:
A 14-year-old middle school student is facing felony computer hacking charges after he admitted to accessing a teacher's computer during class without permission. If that wasn't bad enough, he then displayed an image of two men kissing.
Domanik Green, an eighth grader at Paul R. Smith Middle School in Holiday, Florida, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with an offense against a computer system and unauthorized access: a third-degree felony under Florida state law.
[...] The school had distributed a single password for all teachers to use, approximately two years ago. One educator had shared it with a student, who soon let his classmates in on the secret.
The Tampa Bay Times notes:
Green, interviewed at home, said students would often log into the administrative account to screen-share with their friends. They'd use the school computers' cameras to see each other, he said.
Green had previously received a three-day suspension for accessing the system inappropriately. Other students also got in trouble at the time, he said. It was a well-known trick, Green said, because the password was easy to remember: a teacher's last name. He said he discovered it by watching the teacher type it in.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by ataradov on Monday April 13 2015, @08:45AM
Stupidity like that should be punishable.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @09:14AM
Pencil
(Score: 2) by jasassin on Monday April 13 2015, @10:02PM
I was thinking why was pencil nodded +funny? It took me a moment. For those who don't get it, it's a reference to the movie War Games. The secretary keeps the school modem passwords on a paper on a slide out shelf (the last not crossed out password being pencil). Well played Sir, well played.
jasassin@gmail.com GPG Key ID: 0xE6462C68A9A3DB5A
(Score: 3, Insightful) by wantkitteh on Monday April 13 2015, @09:14AM
Absolutely - find a felony to charge their moron IT person with, they certainly should have known better than to use a password scheme like that around inquisitive kids who're still learning what boundaries are!
(Score: 5, Insightful) by wantkitteh on Monday April 13 2015, @08:55AM
A 13-14 year old pulls a prank on a teacher, exposing how pathetic the entire school's security is - systematically broken wide open by shoulder-surfing a single teacher, puh-leaze! - but because some moron somewhere called that password scheme "security" (and let's be honest, no IT professional even semi-competent would say that) it's a felony instead of a wake-up call to the school that pretty much every single pupil has access to their teacher's crap.
Some prosecutor somewhere expects a 14-year-old to have the maturity to call a meeting of the school board, ask permission to demonstrate the flaw in security with legal ramifications, tell them how widespread the problem is and let them burn their IT people at the stake. Yeah, right! I guess that kid already commits his 3 inadvertent felonies a day...
(Score: 3, Insightful) by AnonTechie on Monday April 13 2015, @09:28AM
Yeah, don't kill the messenger. The school should be held accountable for having shitty security.
Albert Einstein - "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
(Score: 5, Insightful) by c0lo on Monday April 13 2015, @10:30AM
They school's security is iron-y: based on the iron fist of the prosecutor, that is.
That teen should have known better, we'll use him as an example to make sure everyone understands.
OBEY! That's the only education you'll need.
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0, Flamebait) by zugedneb on Monday April 13 2015, @08:47PM
dat rage...
anytime now, you will go fight the injustice...
heard IKEA have foldable barricades you can set up at small crossing of choice
old saying: "a troll is a window into the soul of humanity" + also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ajax
(Score: 2) by Hairyfeet on Monday April 13 2015, @10:36PM
It just shows how damned retarded our school systems and laws has become as when I was in the seventh grade I "hacked" the schools handful of desktops to tell the kids they were a dumbass when they got the question wrong, the punishment? Being told to get my butt over there and fix it as their so called "computer expert" didn't even know enough BASIC to undo what I had done!
ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.
(Score: 2) by jasassin on Tuesday April 14 2015, @04:53AM
When I was in highschool, the passwords were birthdays. I guess I was the only one that noticed the significance of the happy birthday messages scrolling along the LED billboard's saying what time it was, misc shit, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
jasassin@gmail.com GPG Key ID: 0xE6462C68A9A3DB5A
(Score: 2) by Joe Desertrat on Tuesday April 14 2015, @01:55AM
no IT professional even semi-competent would say that
I would be willing to bet that this was the best the IT professional could manage without having the teachers taping the passwords to the computer. Schools are hard places to implement corporate level security, typically the IT people hold the least secure jobs and bucking the will of the users is a tough go.
(Score: 2) by wantkitteh on Tuesday April 14 2015, @10:18AM
I was (briefly) IT manager for a school - getting teachers to remember passwords is okay, as long as you can also get them to remember their usernames. And yeah, job security is just zero in those places.
(Score: 2) by tibman on Tuesday April 14 2015, @04:30PM
So because there are teachers that can't remember their FB password the security scheme is lowered to one password fits all? That's practically criminal. People keep losing keys to the doors so we'll just not put locks on.
SN won't survive on lurkers alone. Write comments.
(Score: 2, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @09:00AM
America earned another enemy for life, when this kid grows up and realizes he can't get a job, any job, because he was charged with a felony in middle school. I wonder how many fully deserving American scum this kid will murder? Shall we have a poll about it? Let's.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @11:22AM
You really don't understand the juvenile justice system, do you? It is ok if you don't, but in this case it would have kept you from exposing your ignorance with stupid statements.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by FlyingSock on Monday April 13 2015, @12:19PM
So please educate us! Instead of just making snarky comments. You can not expect everyone to know everything you do (it's depressing I know, but such is life).
Besides, in the context of constructive discussion, that, I at least thought, was the point of sn, exposing ignorance is not bad, rather it allows one to learn, if of course others then explain instead of snark.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Thexalon on Monday April 13 2015, @01:05PM
The non-snarky explanation: In the US, juvenile records are sealed at age 18 and will not normally show up on a criminal background check. Green is not required to report anything about it to a prospective employer once he turns 18.
Also, my suspicion is that the school might have reacted differently had the kid chosen to change the teacher's background to a man and a woman kissing, rather than 2 men kissing.
"Think of how stupid the average person is. Then realize half of 'em are stupider than that." - George Carlin
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @04:22PM
While the aforementioned is true perhaps an argument to be made is that he may have a more difficult time getting employment until he turns 18. By the time he is 18 he has less work experience than his peers which could delay his future progress with employers that are looking for experienced employees. Or, in the meantime, he can work on his education.
Then again an employer that won't hire someone because they committed a prank ten years ago is probably not the type of employer you want to work for anyways (regardless of how the law may vilify that person). Just because the law is broken doesn't mean people should look for broken companies to work for.
and this whole thing gets back to the whole employee mentality that keeps getting pushed on us. These days employers are cheap, they pay their employees less and less (and adjusted for inflation that money is worth even less) so that they can prosper from all the profits themselves. The pay difference between a a supervisor, manager, and a regular employee in a non-management position isn't that great. Heck, often times employees in non-management positions get more pay than ones in management positions but, even then, the pay rates (for all the work they do) is low and the pay difference isn't that great. I've said this before and I'll say it again. I simply do not know very many wealthy employees (including engineers, programmers, college professors unless they have an independent side job such as an independent side consulting job if they're a chemist). Just about all the wealthy people I know own their own businesses and even people with their own independent trade (ie: commercial electricians) make considerably more than employees (I've talked to them).
(Score: 4, Insightful) by gnuman on Monday April 13 2015, @04:28PM
The non-snarky explanation: In the US, juvenile records are sealed at age 18 and will not normally show up on a criminal background check.
Ideally, maybe. In reality, not so much. Do you honestly believe these records are not going to be available if that guy now wants to work for FBI or NSA or similar?
It is really really sad that a kid can be charged for playing a tiny prank like that. What would happen if there was wet toilet paper on teacher's car? SWAT raid on kid's room?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anal Pumpernickel on Monday April 13 2015, @04:47PM
If that guy wants to work for the FBI or NSA or similar, he's morally bankrupt anyway.
(Score: 1) by Zanothis on Monday April 13 2015, @07:35PM
I'd be more concerned about the fact that this kid has 4 years to do something noteworthy so that a search for his name on Google doesn't return this incident. I'm hoping that people finally realize that we all do stupid shit from time to time and that we should be able to ignore petty offenses like this in the age of an Internet that never forgets.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @12:37PM
He won't be able to get a job with the NSA? I thought they only hired felons.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @04:23PM
No, they only hire traitors. Treason isn't a crime in the US, but failure to follow orders is.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @09:01AM
He glommed the teachers' password and used it to log in as a teacher. This is the second time he's been caught (so who knows how many times he has actually accessed the teachers' system). He didn't learn his lesson the first time, and his parents failed to adequately convince him not to do it again.
Does this rate a felony? Not at his age, and not his actions (at least the actions he's being accused of). But this is Florida, and he put up a picture of something that was "gay". Some folks in Florida's government think that picture itself is worthy of a felony.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @10:25AM
Glommed? Is there something wrong with the word "read"?
(Score: 2, Insightful) by FlyingSock on Monday April 13 2015, @12:23PM
Actually, glom, apparently, means to steal.
Btw. I appreciate gp using this word, I did not know it before. And it has a fun sound. Reducing everything to it's simplest form is not always beneficiary.
(Score: 5, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @12:28PM
Good thing he didn't say "climate change" or he would really be in trouble.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 14 2015, @02:01AM
Good thing he didn't say "climate change" or he would really be in trouble.
Ha ha ha. It's funny because it's true!
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @09:13AM
If you read the article, this boy will likely receive pretrial intervention, which is the juvenile court version of a traffic ticket. You pay a couple hundred bucks, and they dismiss the charges. You have to make restitution (I guess they make him change the screensaver back) and usually do some community service. No time in juvie hall and since the charges are dismissed, there is no criminal record, not even a juvenile one. In some states you can even get the arrest record removed.
That still doesn't change the fact that this should never have gone to the criminal justice system in the first place; but it's not as if he's going to spend the next five years in jail. A day or two of detention seems like the right punishment for this.
And he's already got his college essay topic. If he wants, he could end up with a future as a civil rights lawyer.
(Score: 2) by q.kontinuum on Monday April 13 2015, @09:28AM
If there is any justice, he should be able to decut those bucks from his consultant-fee to the school for security-reviewing their setup, or - if there is no such fee because there was no contract - the school should voluntarily pay to reward the vast boost on the average IQ on that school this boy seems to provide.
Registered IRC nick on chat.soylentnews.org: qkontinuum
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @09:44AM
Justice? In America? You must be delusional.
(Score: 2) by q.kontinuum on Monday April 13 2015, @01:21PM
I'm not sure anymore it would play out better in Germany... (at least compared to the likely outcome in this case, where the boy will probably only pay a penalty < 1000$)
Registered IRC nick on chat.soylentnews.org: qkontinuum
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @09:39AM
That still doesn't change the fact that this should never have gone to the criminal justice system in the first place
It's his second offense of unauthorized access of this system. At what point does it become worthy of criminal charges?
- Should it be a felony? No.
- Should the school implement even basic security? Yes.
- Should he know better? Yes.
- Should he stay out of any computer system that he does not have permission to use? Yes.
- At 14 shouldn't he know right from wrong with regards to this type of behavior, especially since this is his second offense? Absolutely.
- Did he violate the terms of his first offense? Probably.
- Did he intentionally violate the law? Yes.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @09:42AM
It's worthy of criminal charges when there is intent to cause damage, and not before. The number of previous offenses is not relevant except perhaps that it might increase his in-school, non-criminal punishment. Of course he should not be doing this, but the reality is that most kids do this sort of thing and it is absolutely not criminal.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @10:38AM
Except you've now traded one ambiguity for a different ambiguity.
At what point does "intent to cause damage" occur, where is that boundary line.
To a computer knowledgeable individual, changing the screen saver picture is not "causing damage" because it is trivial to change it back.
To someone lacking even basic computer skills [1] the changing of the screen saver picture was a huge amount of damage, because now their system is all messed up and they don't know how to undo any of it (or it will take them hours to figure out how to fix).
Same action - two very different viewpoints upon whether it is "damage". Who's viewpoint gets to be the 'cutoff' for legally flipping between the two outcomes?
[1] which would fit these teachers and this IT department, because had the teachers had even basic computer skills they themselves would have known their last names were not secure passwords, and had the IT department had even basic computer skills, they would never have handed out systems programmed with the teachers last names as passwords.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @10:52AM
Establishing criminal intent is a long-standing task faced by juries in trials. It marks the difference between murder and manslaughter, between arson and negligence, or between felony and misdemeanor drug possession. It is in no way an unusual or difficult problem. In fact, one of the biggest problems with these sorts of computer crime laws is that they do NOT have any requirement for intent, making large classes of harmless computer activity into felonies.
This action is about as damaging as sneaking into the classroom and turning the desks upside down, and should be treated the same, strawmen about "what if the poor helpless teacher has never seen a computer before" notwithstanding.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @11:32AM
Personally, I would go with the viewpoint of the person that *isn't* a moron. But that's just me.
(Score: 2) by Joe Desertrat on Tuesday April 14 2015, @02:12AM
To someone lacking even basic computer skills [1] the changing of the screen saver picture was a huge amount of damage, because now their system is all messed up and they don't know how to undo any of it (or it will take them hours to figure out how to fix).
In my mind, such a person should not be teaching a class, especially since their job requires use of a computer. Anyone with any curiosity would have figured that out long ago. The teacher should have just changed it back without any acknowledgement, thus deflating the kid's perceived value of his prank. He could have done a whole lot worse. I also wonder if they are still using the same password.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @05:24PM
t's worthy of criminal charges when there is intent to cause damage, and not before.
Trespassing has nothing to do with causing damage, and yet it is still against the law. This is "computer trespass".
Considering the atrocious security the school is practicing, who knows what type of PII may be accessible via the system he accessed? They may have everything in one big pile of data. If that system had any health related information about any students, teachers or staff (even if it's just allergies) it violates HIPPA (which is bad for the school, and possibly even worse for the student charged in this matter).
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 14 2015, @09:55PM
Trespassing on a computer shouldn't result in an unjust level of punishment. In fact, I'd say the school should've dealt out the punishment in this case. The way they handled this is horrible.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @09:56AM
He intentionally violated the rules given to him by the school. But did he actually know that he was violating a law that way? Because that would be necessary for him to intentionally violate it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @05:18PM
It's a pretty safe bet that he (and his parents) were informed that it was against the law the first time he was caught doing it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 14 2015, @04:04AM
Ignorance of the law is no excuse (unless you're a cop, then you can break any law you want with impunity, and "ignorance" is a legitimate defense).
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @10:48AM
Most teenagers are not equipped to realize the consequences of their actions: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124119468 [npr.org]
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-teen-brain-still-under-construction/index.shtml [nih.gov]
Even adults have problems with such stuff, but at least there's scientific data to show that expecting 14 year olds to be liable and responsible just like adults are is like expecting a 3 month old baby to not soil his/her diapers.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @05:26PM
He should be aware of the consequences considering this is his 2nd offense with regards to the same computer system.
(Score: 2) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Monday April 13 2015, @07:34PM
You completely failed to read or understand the post you replied to. Please try again.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @08:03PM
Looks to me like GP read GGP's post; he just disagreed. And comparing a 14 y/o with a 3 m/o is simply bullshit. Enough bullshit as to diminish any credidibily the rest of that post may have had to offer.
If you and GGP think a 14 y/o and his parents are incapable of understanding "what you did was very bad, and the next time you do it you will be charged with a crime" then you two need to "please try again".
I'm not saying this kid should be charged with a felony, or even prosecuted for a misdemeanor, but to say "a 14 y/o kid is incapable of understanding a previous warning that also resulted in a suspension" is just making excuses for him.
(Score: 2) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Tuesday April 14 2015, @10:48PM
the post included a link to scientific research that demonstrates that teenage kids have not yet developed the wetware to properly grasp the consequences of their actions. Where's the citation for your assertions?
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 15 2015, @06:29AM
Maybe the other AC doesn't have a well connected/developed enough brain to get the point ;)
Yes teenagers can understand some consequences, but not as well. And often at the spur of the moment - the perceived fun overrides/drowns out all other consequences.
Happens to adults too but for practical reasons we have to draw the line somewhere.
However I do find it weird that in many/most countries there are many lines - "legal adult", age of consent, drinking, driving, military enlistment and voting ages are different ;).
Might be good to have more of the ages the same and have some fancy ceremony where the kids are told they are now an adult (esp the young guys - you are now a man, congratulations, behave like one). Seems to work for tribes.
Maybe the rite of passage would be to walk down an aisle full of tempting/cool stuff (and maybe hot guys/girls) and make it to the end without taking, destroying, or even touching anything, except maybe picking up any litter on the floor, keeping it and putting it in the garbage can at the end.
If you can't do it, you're not legally an adult - you don't get the responsibilities/liabilities, but you don't get the privileges either (adults fucking you will be charged for rape ;) ).
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 14 2015, @09:57PM
Even adults have problems with such stuff
Most adults, in fact. The difference between the two is so minor it's almost nonexistent. Most people in general are no equipped to realize the consequences of their actions.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by sjames on Monday April 13 2015, @09:49AM
Not as bad as it could be, but a far cry from what should have happened. In a sane world, the police should have chewed out the incompetent moron that can't deal with a juvenile prank in a school without calling law enforcement. The couple hundred bucks should be deducted from his paycheck. Call it a fine for failing to behave like a responsible adult while pretending to be an educator.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @05:07PM
yes but these police depts are in on all this cowardly tyranny in towns all around the country, while the chicken shit parents either support it all through stupidity or go along with it from selfishness/cowardice.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @10:18PM
I don't see where the school changed the password after the first episode. Had they done so, there would probably not have been a second episode.
That doesn't even rise to the level of IT - just basic DUH security.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @10:06AM
If we let families raise their children like this, we could have another Snowden.
Best to charge the parents to set an example.
\God Bless America
(Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @10:18AM
And the dog, kill the family dog, as a show of force so those peasants will know who's in charge.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by mendax on Monday April 13 2015, @10:09AM
A child is charged with a felony for fiddling with a teacher's computer while former General and CIA directory David Petraeus gets slapped on the wrist with a misdemeanor for giving his girlfriend classified information. And former NSA director Clapper is still among the free despite the fact he knowingly lied to Congress. Yes, there is no justice in this country.
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @01:15PM
I am really having a hard time why it is not 2 weeks in detention and maaaaaybe a couple day suspension *AGAIN*.
Are our educators so gun shy about handing out detention they go to the law over things?
Unless there is more to this?
(Score: 4, Informative) by Phoenix666 on Monday April 13 2015, @02:34PM
I was going to post something similar, but I'll simply add to your body of evidence:
Act: Choke a man to death on camera [wikipedia.org].
Consequences: None.
Act: Shoot unarmed teenager dead in the street [wikipedia.org].
Consequences: None.
Act: Torture people to death [wikipedia.org].
Consequences: "Mistakes were made," and "We need to look forward, not dwell on the past." In other words, none.
Act: Run massive spying systems through the DEA [gizmodo.com] and the NSA [eff.org] violating the Constitutional rights of every American trillions of times [democracynow.org].
Consequences: "Oh, that program was discontinued," and "We need *more* spying," respectively. In other words, none.
Act: Using police departments and court systems as extortion schemes [washingtonpost.com] that oppress minorities.
Consequences: None, none at all.
Act: Commit financial fraud [wikipedia.org] to the tune of trillions of dollars and destroy the world economy.
Consequences: "Hey, let's give those guys a raise and a bunch of tax breaks and totally dismantle the already mickey mouse regulations they have to deal with!" In other words, what the fuck?
There are so many other sickening, gross violations of the law and crimes against humanity that I could spend the next 6 months adding to this list and not even get to the bottom of it all. But I think those I have listed ought to suffice to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that we are in a post-Rule of Law Age.
How many grievances did the Founding Fathers list for declaring independence from Britain, like 6?
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @04:52PM
You had me up until Michael Brown.
Anybody who looks at the facts, like the grand jury and DOJ did, knows that he was a thug and a criminal and was actively assaulting the police officer.
So fuck you.
(Score: 2) by Techwolf on Monday April 13 2015, @05:34PM
So you conventelly overlooked the un-editeed video, you know, the one that showed him paying for the stuff instead of the one released by the police claiming he stole it. Hmm....should we allways trust the police 100%?
(Score: 2) by Mr Big in the Pants on Monday April 13 2015, @06:35PM
Not at all, but your crimes against spelling should be a punishable felony...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @09:01PM
Even if that were true (it isn't), that does not justify death.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 14 2015, @04:09AM
Being black isn't really a crime, despite bigots like you constantly claiming it is and racist pigs constantly acting like it is.
(Score: 2) by mendax on Monday April 13 2015, @09:16PM
Once again, we need a quote from the great American sage Mark Twain to put this into context:
I know where the lightning ought to strike, but I need to be careful. God has a strange sense of humor... and lousy aim!
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @11:45AM
can't tell the password even seen over the shoulder and it might be:"osamaisinpakistan".
(Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @02:12PM
I stole gewg_'s password. LOL!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @03:27PM
Today they charged him with a felony for computer hacking. Tomorrow, they'll add 'hate-crime'.
(Score: 2) by Jerry Smith on Tuesday April 14 2015, @05:38AM
And secondly: plenty of people don't get that the United States aren't THAT united, e.g. different legislature per state.
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.