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TOP STORIES FOR FRIDAY, JUNE 02, 2006 Solving the Problem of Distance Exams Hummingbird Loses Data on 1.3 Million Data Stolen from Auditor Government Wants ISPs to Keep Data for Two Years SOLVING THE PROBLEM OF DISTANCE EXAMS Troy University is looking to technology to solve a problem created by technology. Working with a company called Software Secure Inc., officials at Troy are directing the development of an electronic proctor to oversee distance students when they take exams. The device, called Securexam Remote Proctor, sits next to a student's computer and connects through the Internet to the host campus. Students verify themselves by using a fingerprint reader in the device, which also includes a camera and a microphone that let instructors watch and hear students remotely as they take tests. Sallie Johnson, director of instructional design and education technologies, said the Remote Proctor "allows faculty members to have total control over their exams." The device is expected to cost about $200, and multiple students would be able to use the same device for different exams. Some said the device is unnecessary. Brian Douglas, chief technology officer for UMass Online, called it "an intrusion into a students life." He said the incidence of cheating among distance students is often overstated, noting that his institution relies on the honor code and tests that make cheating difficult. Inside Higher Ed, 2 June 2006 http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2006/06/02/proctor HUMMINGBIRD LOSES DATA ON 1.3 MILLION Toronto-based Hummingbird said it has lost computer equipment containing personal records on 1.3 million customers of Texas Guaranteed Student Loan, which had hired Hummingbird to develop a document management system. The student loan company had compiled the data, encrypted it, and stored on a password-protected device. The data were then decrypted, however, and stored it on hardware that did not require a password to access, and it was this hardware that Hummingbird lost. The company would not say what kind of hardware it was, but it said the odds that the data could be accessed are very small given the technology needed to access it. Texas Guaranteed Student Loan will notify each of the affected individuals by mail, informing them of the incident and giving them advice about how to monitor their credit histories to prevent identity fraud. CNET, 1 June 2006 http://news.com.com/2100-1029_3-6079261.html DATA STOLEN FROM AUDITOR A laptop was stolen from the trunk of an Ernst & Young employee's car, compromising the names and credit card numbers of 243,000 customers of Hotels.com, which was on the machine. The theft occurred in February, but Ernst & Young was not able to determine what was on the computer until early May, at which time it and Hotels.com began notifying the affected individuals. Those affected can avail themselves of a free credit-monitoring service. This incident marks the third time this year the auditor has exposed data belonging to its clients, following an incident that compromised data from Goldman Sachs and another incident involving several companies. Ernst & Young said it has no reason to believe the thief was specifically seeking the information on the computer. It has since added new security protections to the laptops of its 30,000 employees in the United States and Canada. Wall Street Journal, 2 June 2006 (sub. req'd) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114921264072869450.html GOVERNMENT WANTS ISPS TO KEEP DATA FOR TWO YEARS The Department of Justice is working to require ISPs to keep records on customer activities for two years to help law enforcement officials fight crimes including terrorism and child pornography. Officials from the department met recently with leading Internet companies to discuss details about how such a plan could be put into place. Representatives of those companies said that while they want to aid efforts to stop or prevent crime, they have concerns about exactly what information the Justice Department wants them to keep and how it would be used. A spokesperson from the Justice Department said they want to see records of Web searches and e-mail exchanges but not the content of those actions. He also said access to those records would be restricted and subject to existing protocols covering who is allowed to see it and under what circumstances. Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, said the proposal amounts to "a radical departure from current practices" and would pose "an unnecessary risk to privacy and security of Internet users." San Jose Mercury News, 2 June 2006 http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/14720891.htm ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your settings, or access the Edupage archive, visit http://www.educause.edu/Edupage/639 Or, you can subscribe or unsubscribe by sending e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName To UNSUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SIGNOFF Edupage If you have subscription problems, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE RESOURCES The EDUCAUSE Resource Center is a repository for information concerning use and management of IT in higher education. 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