Hackers caused communication disruptions among Macintosh computers on campus Monday.
The hacker interrupted the system at 10:30 a.m., which lasted 10 minutes, and again at 3 p.m., said Darel Eschbach, assistant vice provost for information technology.
The hacker was able to gain access to the ASU system through the Student Services Building’s network Friday. He or she downed the router through which information travels among computers. As a result, there was no communication among computers using the AppleTalk protocol, a format used by Macintosh computers and printers.
Eschbach said he didn’t know who the hackers were or where they’re from.
He said that although traffic on the network was affected, he did not know how many computers on campus experienced the problem.
“This is something that, unfortunately, we see quite a bit of on campus,” he said.
Eschbach said the problem stemmed from failing to secure a computer properly, comparable to leaving a door unlocked in a house. In the computer business this is an ongoing problem, he added.
“People are continually trying to hack into computers all over the world,” Eschbach said.
Steve Nelson, computer site support supervisor at the Computing Commons, said he did not notice any problems with the Macintosh computers in that building, but those computers do not use AppleTalk.
Eschbach said information technology specialists were not able to trace the system the hacker used because it was not used long enough.
Eschbach said the problem would be fixed if it reoccurs.
Hackers get into systems that are interesting to them and unfortunately that’s how they view ASU, Eschbach said.
“We’re a target because we’re an institution,” he said. “We’re large, and there are a lot of computers here.”
Reach Jennifer Voges at jennyvoges@hotmail.com.
