OxStu two to face court proceedings
Two Oxford Student journalists who exposed security failings in the University's IT network are now facing up to a year's rustication.
Deputy Editor Patrick Foster and Sports Editor Roger Waite were informed on Tuesday that their cases are to be referred to the Court of Summary Jurisdiction, a University court that can impose fines of up to £500 as well as up to a year's suspension from Oxford.
The pair were summoned to the Senior Proctor, John Wheater, and in interviews on Tuesday lasting an hour each were informed that the University is not looking lightly upon their alleged misdeeds.
Foster and Waite can expect to be charged with a number of offences under the University's computing statutes, including 7(10): "gaining or attempting to gain unauthorised access to any facility or service within or outside the University, or making any attempt to disrupt or impair such a service." It is likely that both will plead guilty, and offer the mitigating factors that they were acting in the public interest in an attempt to highlight to the University and its students what they think are serious failings in security provision.
In a joint statement, Foster and Waite said: "We are disappointed that the Proctors feel it is necessary to seek to inflict such a heavy punishment upon us. We have co-operated as fully as possible with the Proctors' investigation, and will continue to do so."
The OUCS Annual Report 2002 - 2003 states: "Every new exploit that comes to light reveals computers on the Oxford network that have not kept up with security precautions... This is an area where lack of resources in one department can have very serious affects [sic] on everyone."
10th Jun 2004