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Edited on Fri Apr-23-10 06:37 AM by PCIntern
I just received the following e-mail from Lower Merion School Board, since I'm still on the 'list'...REMARKABLY, their own internal investigation has turned up NO WRONG-DOING!!
Surprise!
Legalese excusing anti-constitutional, amoral behavior.
and let me tell you that as a former parent, they came down hard on what they perceived as inappropriate behavior by the children as well as they should have. No quarter for bullying, stealing, and the like. when it comes to them...a million frigging excuses and rationalizations.
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Update to the Community from the LMSD Board President and Superintendent, 4/21
April 21, 2010
Dear LMSD Community:
The internal investigation into the school district's computer tracking system is nearly complete. On May 3rd, we will have a comprehensive report to share with all members of the community. This past Monday night, our special independent investigator, Henry Hockeimer, made his first report of preliminary findings to the School Board. The following is an overview of these findings:
To date, the investigation has revealed no evidence of spying or targeting of specific students with regard to the LANrev security tracking system. There is also no evidence of any inappropriate conduct (such as inappropriate access, review, downloading, storage or general use) on the part of any District employees with respect to any of the images collected through the system.
Over the course of two years, the security tracking system that was installed on all high school laptop computers was activated a total of 146 times, producing nearly 56,000 images. Of these, approximately half were screenshots (an image of whatever was open on the desktop) and approximately half were webcam images (an image of whatever was in front of the computer screen at the time). Of the 98 times the system was activated in 2008-09, there were 30 instances where "IP Plus" was used. IP Plus was the feature of the tracking system that enabled the recording of webcam images and screenshots. In all other cases the system tracked IP address only. In 2009-10, there were 48 activations. IP Plus was used in each of those cases.
When the tracking device was activated, it took a screenshot and webcam image every 15 minutes regardless of where the computer was-at school, at home or even a coffee shop, as long as the computer was on and connected to the internet. The technology operated automatically once activated. This is the reason many of the recorded images were of walls and empty rooms. There was no "camera operator" and no ability to record audio and video.
According to Mr. Hockeimer, one of the significant mistakes identified during the investigation is that for several laptops, the tracking software was not turned off after the laptop was found. Even though the images were not monitored by District employees, the system continued to operate, resulting in thousands of additional images. There should have been a process in place that ensured staff knew when a laptop was found and/or an automatic alert should have been provided to administrators so the tracking could be turned off. This will be explained in greater detail in the final report along with other investigative findings and recommendations for corrective actions.
The investigation has shown that more than two-thirds of all webcam and screenshot images were taken as the result of a single incident in which six laptops were stolen from the Harriton High School gymnasium in September 2008. Local law enforcement was contacted and the computers were later recovered.
A very limited number of laptops were affected. In the unlikely event that the investigation shows that the system monitored a computer belonging to your child, the administration will contact you directly and promptly. The District is asking a federal magistrate judge to oversee the process for notifying affected families and providing an opportunity for them to view whatever images have been recovered.
There is a misconception among some in the media that this information could have been reported earlier. The reality is that we, like you, learned of this information on Monday, and Mr. Hockeimer shared the information as soon as it was confirmed by the computer forensics team. To learn more about the preliminary findings of the internal investigation, please read the accompanying Q&A and view video of Monday's board meeting in the "Laptop Updates" section of our website, www.lmsd.org. If you have additional questions, please email communitycomments@lmsd.org.
As a parent and administrator, the two of us have watched an independent and comprehensive investigation unfold over the past two months. We are eager to learn all the facts, conclusions as to what went wrong and why and, more importantly, do everything possible to prevent similar situations from happening in the future.
Our goal is to ensure that the Lower Merion School District emerges stronger than ever and serves as a national model in matters involving the intersection of privacy and technology.
Sincerely,
David Ebby
President, LMSD Board of School Directors
Christopher McGinley
Superintendent
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Laptop Security Q and A
Q: Why did it take so long for the school district to release the number of images taken? What was the delay?
A: It has been a tedious and challenging task for Mr. Hockeimer and a team of computer forensic experts from L-3 Communications to recover the images taken by the security tracking software and piece together information about the instances in which the tracking software was activated.
Q: Why are there so many images?
A: The numbers are large, but not surprising given the number of laptops at issue and the manner in which the technology operated. When it was activated, the tracking software was programmed by default to take screenshots and webcam images every 15 minutes as long as the computer was on and connected to the Internet. About 38,500 images - more than two-thirds of the total number retrieved so far - came from six laptops that were reported missing from the Harriton High School gymnasium in September 2008. Local law enforcement was contacted and the computers were later recovered.
Q: What constitutes an "image" that was recorded by the tracking software?
A: Images include (i) webcam images, which were photos taken of whatever was in front of the laptop at the time, and (ii) screenshots, which depict whatever was on the laptop's screen at the time. The webcam images include blank photographs, photographs of walls, and other photographs that do not include any people. No video or audio was recorded. The tracking software did not have the capability to record video or audio.
Q: Didn't the camera operator control what was being recorded?
A: There was no camera operator. When the theft tracking device was activated, it automatically took a screenshot and webcam image every 15 minutes regardless of where the computer was-at school, at home or even a coffee shop, as long as the computer was on and connected to the internet. This is the reason many of the recorded images were of walls and empty rooms. There was also no ability to record audio and video.
Q: Did the District initially under-report an estimated number of images?
A: The District never reported any quantity of images until Mr. Hockeimer's presentation on April 19th. The attorney for the plaintiff's family had previously suggested that the number of images was more than a thousand. The District's goal is to account for every image that resulted from the activation of the tracking software and that exists in, or can be recovered from, the District's computer systems. Some of the confusion may relate to the difference between the total number of images and total number of activations. The District initially reported that there were fewer than 50 activations during the 2009-10 school year. This number was, in fact, confirmed by the results of the investigation.
Q: Why did District employees leave laptop security systems running for days even after certain missing laptops were found?
A: According to Mr. Hockeimer, continued tracking of several laptops after they were found was a "significant mistake." The tracking software should have been turned off earlier. Even though the images were not monitored, the system continued to operate, resulting in thousands of additional images. There should have been a process in place that ensured staff knew when a laptop was found and/or an automatic alert should have been provided to administrators so the tracking could be turned off. This will be explained in greater detail in the final report.
Q: Could my child have been affected?
A: The vast majority of high school students were not affected. However, if the investigation reveals that a student's computer was subject to tracking that resulted in the capturing of webcam images or screenshots, you will be contacted. The District is asking a federal Magistrate judge to oversee the process for notifying affected families and providing an opportunity for them to view whatever images have been recovered.
Q: Is there any evidence that District employees used the laptop tracking software to "spy" on students?
A: No. To date, the investigation has revealed no evidence of "spying" or of the purposeful targeting of specific students. In addition, there is no evidence of any inappropriate conduct (such as inappropriate access, review, downloading, or storage) on the part of any District employee with respect to any of the images.
Q: Who should be held accountable for what the District has already admitted was a flawed system?
A: The investigator's report will address the issue of supervision of the system when it was in operation and recommend improvements and new policies going forward. The School Board and the Superintendent have made it clear they expect the District to not only learn from its mistakes but to set a new standard when it comes to computer safety and security to the benefit of all involved: students, families, and all school personnel. Mr. Hockeimer has met with attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union and concerned District parents to begin the process of gathering public input towards creating policies and procedures to prevent anything like this from happening again.
Q: It was alarming to read media reports about an IT administrator's email to a colleague about the images. Would you explain that?
A: We think it is important to clarify and correct any misconceptions or confusion that may have resulted from the media coverage-and from the statements made by the plaintiff's family's attorney. You may have seen references in published and/or broadcast reports about comments allegedly made by District IT administrator Carol Cafiero that seem to make light of the tracking software. In fact, those comments had nothing to do with the plaintiff-student. They were made in reference to the six laptops stolen from the Harriton High School gym in September 2008, more than a year before the laptop security incident was brought to light.
Q: Is the District going to release the full results of the investigation?
A: Yes. The Lower Merion School Board will give a full and public report at a meeting to be held on Monday, May 3.
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