Mom hacked website to change kids' grades

[Hum]

NEW TRIPOLI, PA ? A Pennsylvania woman allegedly changed her children's grades after logging into a school computer system using passwords obtained when she worked for the district.

Investigators say Catherine Venusto used the Northwestern Lehigh School District superintendent's password to change the grades. She was arraigned Wednesday on a half-dozen felony counts and released on bail.

Officials say Venusto changed a failing grade to a medical exception for her daughter in 2010, when she was still a district secretary. The New Tripoli woman is also accused of bumping one of her son's grades from 98 to 99 percent in February.

State police say Venusto admitted changing the grades, saying she thought her actions were unethical but not illegal.

source

[FMH]

Mom of the year!

[killer2239]

She did not "Hack" the website, she just used a login she knew of someone. Big difference.

[Hum]

Now all her kids need is some pot and alcohol.

[LittleNeutrino Veteran]

if she used passwords she gained from working there she didn't "Hack" anything.

Still though. why not just tutor your child and assist them at being able to pass grades.

[Charisma Veteran]

Funny how they apparently never change their password up there... Guess they've learned their lesson?

Maybe she should spend more time studying with/tutoring her kids instead of pulling stunts like this.

[tsupersonic]

Seriously? 98% to 99%? :|

[+Warwagon MVC]

Seriously? 98% to 99%? :|

An A- is called the Asian F

[KingCracker]

I wish my mom was as cool as her when I was in school.

[+Warwagon MVC]

I wish my mom was as cool as her when I was in school.

She isn't THAT cool. She did get caught!

[KingCracker]

She isn't THAT cool. She did get caught!

True.

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Funny how they apparently never change their password up there... Guess they've learned their lesson?

Maybe she should spend more time studying with/tutoring her kids instead of pulling stunts like this.

Which would require the mother to have common sense. A rare trait.

[Active.]

A for effort

[jnelsoninjax]

She did not "Hack" the website, she just used a login she knew of someone. Big difference.

I came to say the same thing! It is not 'hacking' if you know the password! But the media likes to use the term to describe anyone who uses a computer for anything less then ethical.

[+Anarkii Subscriber²]

Shes only doing what she thought was best for her children. Any parent would do that....

[episode]

She did not "Hack" the website, she just used a login she knew of someone. Big difference.

Yup. I'm going to bet the case is dropped because the charges don't fit what she did.

[neufuse Veteran]

An A- is called the Asian F

98% is still an A+, if they use the 93% is an A scale then 93% wouldbe an A- if its a 90% scale then 90% would be A-..... smack in the middle is plain A

[nominak]

Shes only doing what she thought was best for her children. Any parent would do that....

She's lucky they didn't boot her children from school for this little "hack".

[neufuse Veteran]

Yup. I'm going to bet the case is dropped because the charges don't fit what she did.

In PA they wont drop them, she wasn't charged with "hacking" she'd of been charged with Illegal use of a telecommunications device, which is what a networked computer is considered here. Also would of been charged with theft believe if or not, she "stole" the password technically and probably theft of services

[Farstrider]

I came to say the same thing! It is not 'hacking' if you know the password! But the media likes to use the term to describe anyone who uses a computer for anything less then ethical.

Actually "hackers" are technically the good guys and "crackers" are the baddies! The term "hacker" has been lost in translation a long time ago!

[Brandon H Supervisor]

I came in here to give props to a mom that actually knows how to hack, then I found out she just got a hold of the password ... disappointing :/

oh well, either way she was stupid enough to get caught so she deserves every bit that's coming to her

[Brandon H Supervisor]

Actually "hackers" are technically the good guys and "crackers" are the baddies! The term "hacker" has been lost in translation a long time ago!

wrong (I can say this because I just took a class on security)

there are 3 types of hackers

white hat hackers (the ethical ones that are hacking with full permission to do so to help improve the software)

grey hat hackers (the ones that mean well but don't have permission to do what they're doing)

black hat hackers (the hackers that are hacking with the intent of causing harm to the system)

also, hacking and cracking are 2 different things

[tsupersonic]

She's lucky they didn't boot her children from school for this little "hack".

Now, it's not the child's fault - if the child did it, then sure punish the child. You are (usually) responsible for your own actions. If someone else does something to affect you (in a bad way to which you have no control/saying), then it shouldn't be your responsibility.

[theyarecomingforyou]

Shes only doing what she thought was best for her children. Any parent would do that....

No. If she wanted her kid to get better grades she should have helped them study, motivated them to do better, spent money on private tutors or any one of a hundred other things. Breaking the law in order to cheat the system is not what parents do. She is a disgusting parent.

[Farstrider]

wrong (I can say this because I just took a class on security)

there are 3 types of hackers

white hat hackers (the ethical ones that are hacking with full permission to do so to help improve the software)

grey hat hackers (the ones that mean well but don't have permission to do what they're doing)

black hat hackers (the hackers that are hacking with the intent of causing harm to the system)

also, hacking and cracking are 2 different things

Gee, thanks for putting me in my place! :rolleyes: All I did was refer to the very broad context of the two words! There is and has been controversy, for quite a while, as to what the correct definition of these terms really are.

Hacking means finding out weaknesses in a computer or computer network, though the term can also refer to someone with an advanced understanding of computers and computer networks.[1] Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, such as profit, protest, or challenge.The subculture that has evolved around hackers is often referred to as the computer underground but it is now an open community.While other uses of the word hacker exist that are not related to computer security, they are rarely used in mainstream context. They are subject to the long standing hacker definition controversy about the true meaning of the term hacker. In this controversy, the term hacker is reclaimed by computer programmers who argue that someone breaking into computers is better called a cracker,not making a difference between computer criminals (black hats) and computer security experts (white hats). Some white hat hackers claim that they also deserve the title hacker, and that only black hats should be called crackers.

Some more here on the Hacker definition controversy.