Dec. 20--Two Bartlett High School students hacked into an Elgin U-46 district online portal to access a staff member's email account and change student attendance records, district officials said.
The students collected information on how to hack the U-46 network and break down firewall and filter restrictions, said district spokesman Patrick Mogge in an email. In addition to hacking the staff member's email account, they hacked into Infinite Campus, a password-protected intranet system that gives parents and students access to report cards, transcripts, and disciplinary records, among other personal information.
The students were successful in changing the district's attendance system and changing students' records, said John Heiderscheidt, the district's coordinator of safety and security. He said district officials additionally discovered a website offering a service to U-46 students who needed their attendance records changed.
The students were able to hack into the system by uploading a software program onto U-46 computers that traces keystrokes, allowing them to decode passwords and access staff accounts, Heiderscheidt said.
The district became aware of the security breach last week after students reported it, Heiderscheidt said. He said it's likely the breach had been occurring for several weeks prior to its discovery.
Once the district became aware, they immediately contacted Bartlett police, who are currently investigating the incident, he said.
"We take these situations very seriously, and it's really a cautionary statement to anybody who would thinking of hacking and putting their education in jeopardy," Heiderscheidt said. "Not only does this violate school rules, it's also a crime."
Mogge said the district is taking action to remove all compromised computers and is requiring staff members to reset their passwords for their email and Infinite Campus accounts.
"We are working on a plan to strengthen our network security," Mogge said.
Bartlett police could not be immediately reached for comment as to whether or not the two students could face criminal charges.
The names, genders, ages, and years in school of the two students were not available.
