Student accessed secure school files

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - A letter from Virginia Beach Schools acknowledging that a student inappropriately accessed secure school files was mailed to the parents of every student in each of the 22 affected schools, on Thursday, June 17.

WAVY.com obtained a copy of the letter , which states that an Ocean Lakes High School student got into the school computer system and accessed computer files, including the names, birth dates, identification numbers and Social Security numbers of other students.

The letter, written by the schools' Chief Information Officer Ramesh Kapoor, goes on to say that an investigation revealed the student had access to data for 22 schools in Virginia Beach.

Police were notified and Kapoor said the school division took action to secure all files and databases. Police said there is no evidence that the student used the information to commit identity theft.

School officials told WAVY.com the Ocean Lakes student accessed the information while on a computer in the school library, then tried to print the information. Library staff discovered what was happening and took immediate action. Officials said appropriate disciplinary action was taken against the student. They would only say the range is suspension to expulsion.

Police spokesperson Adam Bernstein told WAVY.com the student was not charged because the student did not technically have to breach the security system.  "A detective did a thorough investigation and because of the way the information was obtained where he did not actually go in and hack the system, there was not any charges as far as hacking or computer trespassing," said Bernstein.

There was something wrong with the security measures in the computer system where a security code was set incorrectly, which made the site accessible.

The school system is asking parents to monitor their child's credit report for any unusual activity, as a precaution, and to consider placing a fraud alert on the child's credit file. A fraud alert lets creditors know to contact you before opening any new accounts. If you notice any fraudulent activity, contact the Virginia Beach Police Department immediately at 757-385-4101.

The three national credit reporting agencies are:

Experian 888-397-3742
Equifax  800-685-1111
TransUnion  800-888-4213

Call the agencies above to find out how to receive a free copy of your child's credit report. If your child is 18 years old or older, he or she will need to contact the credit agencies directly.

WAVY News 10 is closely following this story. Look for the latest developments on air beginning at 5 p.m. and at any time on WAVY.com.

On the web:

Read the letter

VB schools announcement