Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups in Security http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r17618520 en Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:02:56 EDT Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:02:56 EDT Re: What was not presented in the defence of the accused http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17719287 Blue2 :
said by EGeezer See Profile :

Here is a biography of and statement from the expert defense witness who was not permitted to testify. Quite a read.
That was a fascinating read Egeezer.

Now, if she gets some competent legal counsel, she will be acquitted on appeal. Then she will contact one of the top legal firms to sue the school administration for civil damages claiming that due solely to THEIR negligence she was forced to suffer seeing the same pornographic images as the students, and that her reputation and good name have now been irrevocably damaged.

If she succeeds, some school administrator will be fired, and that will serve as the best deterrent to other school systems: "Don't secure your PCs, be prepared for heads to roll and a multi-million dollar lawsuit." Unfortunately, in this day and age, only when it costs, do bureaucracies listen.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17719287 Sat, 27 Jan 2007 05:36:23 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17718606 Kiwi : Don't even get me started on the school system :o The day the school system in America produces real people, will be the same day such an Act, produces students; Judgement could be moot! Now if this article could center on adults, with a maturity issue of a 12 year old.....[It's open].

Schools and the internet...More ignorant than some who produce babies and I should know! :D

School systems and the internet are it seems, illiterate, perhaps.

Sounds more like complete ignorance, something flavoring the idiocy that seems to pervade our life.

Now, if 'They' could just concentrate on an educational process, this might have been worthy. But, what was I thinking! :mad:

I'm really bad and this could belong in a forum other than this ;) But, I watched American Idol because my Daughter wanted to; this show was a blatant example of a failed system and yes, it's relevant to the topic, just taken a step further and on to TV. In fact that show perhaps, represents the failed school system @ least on the front end of First come, first serve; I me and myself vs Something to offer. Had a few real contenders.

Teachers are undermined, many are under paid and some don't care; some teachers can't pass the tests they teach! :mad:....But, that won't excuse a failed Internet Administrator.

This would make a great Current event topic...Huh! It does.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17718606 Sat, 27 Jan 2007 00:06:26 EDT What was not presented in the defence of the accused http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17718388 EGeezer : Here is a biography of and statement from the expert defense witness who was not permitted to testify. Quite a read. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17718388 Fri, 26 Jan 2007 23:17:42 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17717705 tim_k :
said by Mele20 See Profile :

Evidently there was no computer savvy person on the jury either.
In the few times I've been on jury selection, it was often the case that people who had half a brain were kept off the jury. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17717705 Fri, 26 Jan 2007 21:13:53 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17717190 Oleg : I think judge and police do not know much about computers.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17717190 Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:45:27 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17666273 anon : I wouldn't count on any help from the students themselves. You have to remember how cruel kids at that age are. There's a possibility she may have been an unpopular substitute, so the kids blew the situation out of proportion to their parents to get her fired. All-in-all, this case is a disgusting display of a lack of justice in this system. In case you all haven't figured it out yet, our justice system is broken and needs to be fixed.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17666273 Thu, 18 Jan 2007 16:00:26 EDT More ignorance revealed http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17652937 EGeezer : here is another look into the knowledge level of the Norwich PD "cyber sleuth" -

Unless the reporter left it out, he fails to recognise that all of the wireless security that the local police department espouses will not protect wireless users from a even a relatively unskilled hacker.

No mention of using a limited or reduced privilege system account when on a WiFi network. No mention of firewalling, AV, AT or turning off file and printer sharing. No mention of using strong passphrases, WPA - or even weakly secured WEP encryption available on all current WiFi routers and cards.

Hell, the stereotypical PFY would own this guy's PC in a few minutes. :D

said by article :

f you've already gone wireless or are planning on doing so, police have some tips when using the factory software included with your router and network cards that include:

1. Change the default SSID (network name)
2. Disable the SSID broadcast option
3. Change the default password needed to access a wireless device
4. Enable MAC address filtering


--
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.

Aristotle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17652937 Tue, 16 Jan 2007 16:14:45 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17650548 bcool :
said by Qorum :

The moral of the story being, 'Stay away from children they're nothing but trouble.'
you speak volumes, partner. I'm never alone with anybody that ain't over 21. Period!
--
"in flagrante delicto"]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17650548 Tue, 16 Jan 2007 08:35:35 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17650372 Psicop : Moral of the story:

quote:
Albert Einstein:

Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.


Let's hope stupidity doesn't ruin the life of that poor school teacher.

:huh:]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17650372 Tue, 16 Jan 2007 07:38:45 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17650039 anon : The moral of the story being, 'Stay away from children they're nothing but trouble.'

Of course if we weren't living under the yoke of a heavily armed police state it wouldn't be a cause for concern. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17650039 Tue, 16 Jan 2007 02:59:44 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17649896 Mele20 : Preston Gralla, the Computer World writer who sided with the prosecution, has just made a retraction after getting more than four dozen replies to his article that strongly criticized his conclusions.

"I can't say that I know the truth in this case, because I haven't personally seen the teacher's PC. But if in fact it was infested with spyware, as people say, and if the school system let the site filtering lapse, then what happened is a miscarriage of justice. And if that's the case, I clearly wrote my blog before knowing the facts, and was flat-out wrong."

»www.computerworld.com/blogs/node/4358

More from Alex Eckelberry tonight also:
"It takes a quite a man to make a statement like that. Preston: I salute you."

Alex goes on to recap the situation and mentioned some facts I was unaware of. The computer had multiple user accounts, porn had been on the computer for a long time, the school district had told the teacher that under NO circumstances was she to turn off the computer, she tried to block the kids view of the computer with her body.

This fiasco and travesty of justice just gets more shocking.

»sunbeltblog.blogspot.com/

--
"If you want to do DRM on a PC then you need to treat the user as the enemy." Ross Anderson in "`Trusted Computing' Frequently Asked Questions"

»www.msfirefox.com/]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17649896 Tue, 16 Jan 2007 01:50:44 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17647445 anon : Well said, Mele20.

But I think the Judge and Jury needs a guideline to follow before they judge a person. They only followed what rules were in place.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17647445 Mon, 15 Jan 2007 18:13:59 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17647155 Mele20 :
said by La Luna See Profile :

I see people blaming everything but the right thing....the US (LOL!!), W98 and/or XP/SP2 being "force fed" (of COURSE it was MS's fault!! :uhh: ). There's thousands and thousands of people living IN the US using W98/XP/SP2 who haven't been hijacked.
No, you misunderstood. The school's computers either had 98 or XP SP1. The incident occurred only two months after SP2 was issued and BEFORE SP2 was force fed. Since the school had let its firewall software license expire, the observation was that it was highly likely that the school also did not upgrade the OS. Either they were using 98 or had XP but had SP1 which was much more vulnerable and probably only got SP2 when MS force fed it which was AFTER the incident occurred.

As for the attorney being negligent in not calling in a computer expert.... when you are totally ignorant generally you don't know how ignorant you are and that causes misjudgments. Look at the prosecutor...same thing. He and the plaintiff's computer expert...neither evidently knew...nor did the judge or the jury how truly, abysmally ignorant they all were. Even the jury could have spoken up and stopped the nonsense. Evidently there was no computer savvy person on the jury either. The ignorant were arrogant in their ignorance and it wasn't just the defense attorney. The defendant was evidently just as computer ignorant as the rest or she would have done something to get a better defense.
--
"If you want to do DRM on a PC then you need to treat the user as the enemy." Ross Anderson in "`Trusted Computing' Frequently Asked Questions"

»www.msfirefox.com/]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17647155 Mon, 15 Jan 2007 17:32:10 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17644681 La Luna : The problem isn't so much that the defense lawyer is computer "illiterate", the problem is that he KNEW it and didn't get a REAL computer expert to help and testify.

I see people blaming everything but the right thing....the US (LOL!!), W98 and/or XP/SP2 being "force fed" (of COURSE it was MS's fault!! :uhh: ). There's thousands and thousands of people living IN the US using W98/XP/SP2 who haven't been hijacked.

The reality is that this woman had a lousy, crappy lawyer who didn't do his job. A competent computer expert could have turned the whole thing back on the school in about two seconds by showing how they did not maintain/secure their computers. The teacher probably could have sued them for mental distress...after all, it was THEIR fault that she ALSO was forced to look at porn against her will.
--
~~Well, I think you're crazy, I think you're crazy, I think you're crazy, just like me...~~

]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17644681 Mon, 15 Jan 2007 09:54:02 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17644312 Blue2 : Yes, agreed Mele. My guess is that this woman did not realize what had happened to her and that this was a technical issue.

Being computer illiterate, you usually have no idea what you don't know. So you don't even know who to ask for help. I remember my own first (and last) hijack experience (which brought me to BBR). I was in complete disbelief.

I hope that Alex took good notes on his discussion with this lawyer, whose admission of being computer illiterate will probably be enough to grant a re-trial. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17644312 Mon, 15 Jan 2007 08:10:14 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17644264 Mele20 :
said by Blue2 See Profile :

In this case, this lawyer stating that he is computer illiterate is simply NO excuse. He is responsible to give his client the best defense possible. Stating that he is computer illiterate is tantamount to saying that he was incompetent to do so and he should be brought before the Bar association.
Of course that is no defense. He didn't even state this until Alex evidently got him to admit it way after the fact. He should not have represented the defendant in the first place. Why she kept him is a bit of a mystery. Perhaps, she couldn't afford a better attorney who was more qualified to defend her...she was doing substitute teaching. There is a lot we don't know.
--
"If you want to do DRM on a PC then you need to treat the user as the enemy." Ross Anderson in "`Trusted Computing' Frequently Asked Questions"

»www.msfirefox.com/]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17644264 Mon, 15 Jan 2007 07:46:10 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17644241 Blue2 : Of course, you're right Mele. As I previously indicated, "This perhaps shows that a prosecutor wanting to set an example or make a name for himself, a computer-illiterate judge, and a bad defense lawyer can be dangerous to your health."

But all professionals have areas of specialty. An eye doctor doesn't treat a broken leg, and any eye doctor that would do so, unless it was a medical emergency, would be brought before the AMA.

In this case, this lawyer stating that he is computer illiterate is simply NO excuse. He is responsible to give his client the best defense possible. Stating that he is computer illiterate is tantamount to saying that he was incompetent to do so and he should be brought before the Bar association.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17644241 Mon, 15 Jan 2007 07:28:33 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17644092 Mele20 :
said by Blue2 See Profile :

So I'd blame the defense lawyer for not making it obvious how easy a hijacking is, showing how it could have happened to any of them.
How could he do that? He has admitted that he is computer illiterate. This was a case of the blind (computer illiterate prosecuter, cop, and judge), leading the blind (the defense attorney) and asking the blind (computer illiterate jury) to make an informed decision.
--
"If you want to do DRM on a PC then you need to treat the user as the enemy." Ross Anderson in "`Trusted Computing' Frequently Asked Questions"

»www.msfirefox.com/]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17644092 Mon, 15 Jan 2007 05:38:51 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17644067 Blue2 :
said by Link Logger See Profile :

This is proof that there is something very wrong in the US ...

Blake
It's called rush to judgement, but it isn't just a US problem. Whenever there is a "sensationalist" issue, the media gets hold of it and it makes headlines. Then the accused's fate is decided, knowing that everyone is watching.

I have a friend who upon getting divorced had his wife accuse him of molesting their child. He spent a year in a French jail until he was acquitted. The shock value of the accusation over-weighed the fact that there was no evidence.

When the accusation requires expertise to evaluate, such as this one, it gets over-simplified. The jury probably knew as much about the technical issues as they knew how to secure their own computers. So I'd blame the defense lawyer for not making it obvious how easy a hijacking is, showing how it could have happened to any of them.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17644067 Mon, 15 Jan 2007 05:12:47 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17644058 Mele20 : Alex Eckelberry has promised experts pro bono but I would think that the more help available, the stronger the appeal will be. The defense attorney admitted to Alex that he is computer illiterate. I've been reading the forum at Norwichbulletin.com and one poster today announced that he has set up a fund to help Julie Amero pay for an appeal:

"If teacher's salaries here in Western Europe are anything like the salaries of US teachers, she will not be able to afford an appeal. I haven't seen any comments from either the ACLU or the EFF, let alone a pledge from them to pay for her appeal (although admittedly, I may have overlooked it). So, I have taken the liberty of setting up a fund for it.

Donations can be made through PayPal to help.julie.amero@gmail.com . I promise that I will not use this account or any donations to my personal advantage. I would greatly appreciate it if someone could forward this message to Julie Amero and her attorney, and ask them to contact me through the email address mentioned, so that we can make sure the fundraising is handled properly and the account can be signed over to her. "
»forums.norwichbulletin.com/viewt···7ef9e6ce

I hope that fund gets set up properly soon so that people can feel comfortable in contributing and knowing it is going to her and her attorney.

A computer consultant today posted at the Norwich forum and he thinks the school was using W98! He says that even if they were using XP that this incident occured only two months after SP2 was released and before it was force fed to users and he doubts seriously that the school would have upgraded at that time.

What would be nice would be if we had access to the trial transcript. I'm wondering, like many at the Norwich Bulletin forum, why the ACLU and EFF are silent.
--
"If you want to do DRM on a PC then you need to treat the user as the enemy." Ross Anderson in "`Trusted Computing' Frequently Asked Questions"

»www.msfirefox.com/]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17644058 Mon, 15 Jan 2007 05:06:37 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17642677 Link Logger : This is proof that there is something very wrong in the US as this is either a very bad misrepresentation of justice by what could only be describe as unfathomably incompetent judge/lawyers/law enforcement/etc, or the media has grossly misreported the case and its details (I suspect the former), but either way this is highly bogus.

So we do we sign up for her appeal fund or otherwise provide resources to correct this mistake.

Blake
--
Vendor: Author of Link Logger which is a traffic analysis and firewall logging tool]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17642677 Sun, 14 Jan 2007 22:15:40 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17637668 swhx7 : Just a few observations...

1. Prosecutors and police are often motivated to convict someone rather than to do justice. (See this editorial for example.)

2. 40 years is excessive (to an extreme) for allowing children to briefly see a few pornographic images. The harm is minimal.

3. If this is not overturned, and the typical level of IT competence in schools continues, any clever student with access to a classroom computer will be able to get any teacher fired and prosecuted.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17637668 Sun, 14 Jan 2007 00:10:59 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17637567 EGeezer : Another argument for appeal or retrial here.

I believe this is a case of incompetent counsel, not qualified to counsel in IT -related cases.


Judge Hillary Strackbein, who is overseeing the case, said she could not understand why Cocheo did not have witnesses ready to testify at the completion of the state's case.
It would be interesting to see the credentials for the state's "expert", apparently a local cop with enough computer knowledge to do things like look at the index.dat files with a utility, and little more. The lack of seizure and evidence preservation and analysis knowledge I've seen on the part of some local LE's is scary.

A law firm specializing in electronic discovery and evidence handling should be able to blow this case out of the water, assuming there are no significant facts we haven't seen in the news. Unfortunately, the defendant will have to shell out big bucks and time to deal with this.
--
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.

Aristotle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17637567 Sat, 13 Jan 2007 23:51:23 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17630807 Blue2 :
said by MrBradTX See Profile :

Whole thing reminds me of a recent event in Texas where a teacher was dismissed because a parent complained that a student saw a depiction of a nekkid body part during a field trip to a museum.
Yes, let's not forget, the irony in the Justice Department itself:

Curtains for semi-nude justice statue

No longer will US Attorney General John Ashcroft appear in public with a semi-nude statue towering above him.

The US Justice Department has spent $8,000 on curtains to hide the statue from the cameras....

The drapes are reported to have been hanging since Monday, drawing to a close the sport of photographers who infamously sprawled on the floor to snap the former Attorney General Edwin Meese holding aloft his report on pornography in front of the female statue.

»news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1788845.stm

The sculptor is probably working on a chain gang now.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17630807 Fri, 12 Jan 2007 18:32:39 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17630615 MrBradTX : Whole thing reminds me of a recent event in Texas where a teacher was dismissed because a parent complained that a student saw a depiction of a nekkid body part during a field trip to a museum.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17630615 Fri, 12 Jan 2007 18:00:25 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17630429 anon : Not that I really think she is guilty, but it does seem some here may be automatically assuming that just because she's female, that means she could never be surfing at a porn site. Like for some reason only guys do that, but a woman? Such a thing couldn't be possible.

Well maybe there are some women who surf those sites after all. Maybe she really did go to a porn site and the popups are due to her nasty habits. Just maybe some women do like porn after all. ;)

But even if she is guilty, 40 years is a joke and with all the holes in this case I wouldn't doubt if she gets off clean.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17630429 Fri, 12 Jan 2007 17:30:25 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17630062 KyeU : My response to an article posted by an individual who seems to be on the prosecutors' side ( »www.computerworld.com/blogs/node/4346 ):

quote:
Kye-U wrote:

"For once, justice prevails."

You have no idea how much this sentence agitates me.

"But it wasn't just pop-ups students saw. Web sites were visited, noted the prosecutor, and the teacher clicked on links to pornographic images."

They're children for God's sake. How can they tell if the teacher actually clicked on the links or if spyware loaded them up automatically? How far away were they from the computer? Maybe they just saw windows popping up and assumed the teacher was clicking when, in fact, they were being opened by spyware.

Did the prosecutors scan the computer for spyware? Do they even KNOW what spyware is?

Is it right for the prosecutors to AUTOMATICALLY assume that the supply teacher deliberately visited the sites WITHOUT performing a thorough analysis of the computer(s) in question?

If I had enough resources and time, I would be willing to help this poor woman from the incompetencies in the justice and education system. I thank Alex Eckelberry for his willingness to offer aid in the appeals process.

A question for all who see this as a case where justice has "prevailed": What if you were the supply teacher in question? How can you say that justice has prevailed with such abysmal knowledge and evidence?

Posted on Fri, 01/12/2007 - 5:32pm| reply
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17630062 Fri, 12 Jan 2007 16:35:18 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17629615 MGD :
quote:
"But Smith countered Horner's testimony with that of Norwich Police Detective Mark Lounsbury, a computer crimes investigator. On a projected image of the list of Web sites visited while Amero was working, Lounsbury pointed out several highlighted links.

"You have to physically click on it to get to those sites," Smith said. "I think the evidence is overwhelming that she did intend to access those Web sites.""


Unbelievable !!!

If it did not involve the total devastation of an individuals life.. the sheer incompetence would be amusing.

Before being let loose in the field, "Malware 101" should be a pre requisite for any computer crimes investigator.

Kudos to Alex.

MGD]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17629615 Fri, 12 Jan 2007 15:22:00 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17629465 TeMerc : Sunbelt Software blogged about some idiot who said that 'justice prevailed' in this case. Most seem to disagree. To that extent, upon offering some basic information about how malware works, which most all know about here, they have offered their computer experts for the appeals process.
Alex Eckelberry:
I also should note that in a conversation with the defense attorney today, he did tell me that his computer experts were not able to provide all the evidence in court. For the appeals process, we have made our own experts available to the defense on a pro-bono basis for any analysis of the infected machine.

»sunbeltblog.blogspot.com/2007/01···lty.html

That's awesome!! There may be hope for this poor woman after all. Goodness knows she has been railroaded.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17629465 Fri, 12 Jan 2007 14:57:40 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17629007 Jason Levine :
said by Kurts3Kids See Profile :

TEACHER HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY
I really feel sad for her and hope that she wins on appeal, but now that she has been found guilty, her career is likely over. Even if she's acquitted on appeal, she'll be known as the teacher that showed porn to her kids. No school district will want to hire her.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17629007 Fri, 12 Jan 2007 13:42:32 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17628459 Blue2 :
said by Kurts3Kids See Profile :

»www.norwichbulletin.com/apps/pbc···2/NEWS17

TEACHER HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY
Voila: Garbage In, Garbage Out]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17628459 Fri, 12 Jan 2007 12:02:44 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17628278 Kurts3Kids : »www.norwichbulletin.com/apps/pbc···2/NEWS17

TEACHER HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17628278 Fri, 12 Jan 2007 11:30:41 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17628232 anon : this kind of ridiculous case can only happen in US, every minute thing can exaggerated to lawsuit in court.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17628232 Fri, 12 Jan 2007 11:21:59 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17627840 Blue2 : Innocent people do sometimes get faulted, ESPECIALLY when the people making these decisions have no clue as to how technology works. Someone has to be held responsible: the school/bank/institution (unlikely), the kids (not a chance), the user (bingo!).

Before making a ruling on a computer related case, every judge should be forced to (a) pass a basic computer literacy test and (b) spend a week behind an unprotected computer.

After that, there would be a lot less chance for misapplications of justice. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17627840 Fri, 12 Jan 2007 10:12:52 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17627794 ElJay : This is nuts... No search for adware? What sort of justice is this? Too bad the jury and the school's IT people can't be put on trial for being idiots.

My experience in school was that the "computer" people there were incompetent and could barely figure out how to plug an ethernet cable into a computer. I bet it is no different at this school, and it's really ridiculous with tools like group policy and on-access virus/malware scanners that they apparently allowed a computer to get owned by adware.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17627794 Fri, 12 Jan 2007 10:03:30 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17626669 KTW35 : Unless aliens take over the proceedings: she will be found not guilty. "If" she has a good lawyer she will get "paid". All I have to say. :uhh:]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17626669 Fri, 12 Jan 2007 01:57:11 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17625770 winsyrstrife : I can hear the IT dept. huddling in the server room, trying to get over the shock of the middle school students easily disabling their "secure" system. :D Kids are too smart for their own good these days.

There are frivolous lawsuits everyday. This is definitely not one of them. I'd sue someone for all they're worth.
--
"Suddenly everything is fainting, falling from a broken ladder's rung. There's a jolt exhilarating from the phone I'm holding... I hear the words of what I'll become, how eager the hands that reach for love." - Blind Melon - New Life]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17625770 Thu, 11 Jan 2007 22:38:50 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17624170 javaMan :
said by Blue2 See Profile :

. . .

This perhaps shows that a prosecutor wanting to set an example or make a name for himself, a computer-illiterate judge, and a bad defense lawyer can be dangerous to your health.
That sounds about right to me. :)
--
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness. . . Isa. 5:20]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17624170 Thu, 11 Jan 2007 18:35:17 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17624164 thender2 : The only person liable is the person who made the spyware.

As for exposing "kids" to porn.. how many haven't seen porn in middle school? If anything the kids are probably getting a kick out of the fact that a big deal, or any deal is being made over this.. I didn't know a single person in middle school who hadn't seen porn before someplace. A good portion of my 7th grade classmates used the computer class to find ways around the stupid filters to look at porn anyway. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17624164 Thu, 11 Jan 2007 18:34:43 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17624127 Blue2 : There are a few things about this story I still don't get.

The local Connecticut newspaper states, "Still, she was accused and convicted of intentionally accessing several pornographic sites -- not pop-up ads or windows, as she suggested. And she did not turn off the computer when the students saw the images."

- How did they prove "intention"?
- How did they prove she was the one who accessed these sites? (The computer was in a room under lock and key that only she had access to?)
- Did any student testify that they saw her click on a link or type in the URL to a pornographic site? Since the students were obviously watching at the time (according to this quote), what exactly did they see her do?
- And finally, not to be too sexist about this, but how many 40 year old women do you know who access porn sites, at school no less, unless there is a more significant underlying problem (e.g. a sexual predator hoping to get a reaction)?

This perhaps shows that a prosecutor wanting to set an example or make a name for himself, a computer-illiterate judge, and a bad defense lawyer can be dangerous to your health.

Just my two cents.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17624127 Thu, 11 Jan 2007 18:29:11 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17623969 MarkAW : "Was justice done here?"
Hell no for starters the detective who was in charge of the investigation admits "there was no search made for adware, which can generate pop-up advertisements".
so how was justice served.

Then there is the judge who “was seen falling asleep during proceedings and made comments to the jury that she wanted the case over by the end of the week. It was also reported that Judge Strackbein attempted to pressure the defense into an unwanted plea deal, in place of a trial. The defense attorney for Amero, moved for a mistrial shortly before closing arguments Friday, based on reports that jurors had discussed the case at a local restaurant.” I'd say the judge should be taken off the bench and placed on trial for impersonating a judge.

"A bad spyware infestation can splatter a machine full of porn popups and it’s a bit unnerving to think that a teacher could get hard prison time for something that was likely to have been completely innocent."

Duh!
--
"Sometimes one pays most for the things one gets for nothing." - Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17623969 Thu, 11 Jan 2007 18:00:41 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17623873 javaMan :
said by Psicop See Profile :

. . .

Problem is that the teacher's reputation is in tatters after this. :huh:
Nothing that a retrial and an acquittal wouldn't fix though. There are more than enough people around who understand how things like this can happen even though the judge, jury, prosecutor and "investigator" apparently don't. She might consider hiring a better attorney though.
--
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness. . . Isa. 5:20]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17623873 Thu, 11 Jan 2007 17:42:34 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17623700 Alcohol : 40 years in jail?

What's the charge for murder? Child Pornography?

Great justice system
--
I would but.. Meh.. Effort]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17623700 Thu, 11 Jan 2007 17:13:35 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17623537 EGeezer : I'd say the defense attorney was incompetent if (s)he failed to file for discovery of all forensic evidence and have that evidence analysed by experts certified in Encase or fo4ensic analysis.

The defense should have called on the prosecution witness to prove that the links could not have been accessed by automated processes, and provided a demonstration of a typical porn popup spyware infested PC.

If what I read in the story is correct and there are no other unreported related facts, there's grounds for a retrial.

As others have said, regardless of the outcome, the accused will still suffer being referred to as "the accused porn peddling teacher".
--
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.

Aristotle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17623537 Thu, 11 Jan 2007 16:47:31 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17622980 ff1324 :
said by La Luna See Profile :

Really, this isn't funny though, this poor woman could go to jail for this. :hmm:
This should be a wake up call to everyone who works in any place where questionable content could affect your employment status as well as criminal complaints. In any place but your own house (read: your workplace) a string of porn pop-ups could be construed as sexual harassment.
--
The funny thing about firemen...night and day they're always firemen]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17622980 Thu, 11 Jan 2007 15:18:37 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17619845 La Luna :
said by Psicop See Profile :

Yeah, I should have read the link....

Ya' think? :D

Really, this isn't funny though, this poor woman could go to jail for this. :hmm:
--
~~Well, I think you're crazy, I think you're crazy, I think you're crazy, just like me...~~

]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17619845 Thu, 11 Jan 2007 01:54:45 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17619677 anon :
said by justin See Profile :

sounds like more than enough grounds for a re-trial/appeal.
More like enough grounds to hang the prosecutor from the nearest street lamp.

Prosecutors are granted immunity from 'the law,' not from extra-judicial executions carried out by the people. :D]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17619677 Thu, 11 Jan 2007 01:01:11 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17619349 Psicop : Yeah, I should have read the link.

Well, I just finished reading it...and buff! The whole case stinks:

1. The school? (I guess the network) did have content filtering but the license was expired.

2. The Trial Judge, Hillary Strackbein, “was seen falling asleep during proceedings...

3. And made comments to the jury that she wanted the case over by the end of the week...

4. Judge Strackbein attempted to pressure the defense into an unwanted plea deal, in place of a trial...

5. Jurors had discussed the case at a local restaurant.

Bloody funny.

Problem is that the teacher's reputation is in tatters after this. :huh:

]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17619349 Wed, 10 Jan 2007 23:36:35 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17619107 La Luna :
said by Psicop See Profile :

Don't blame the teacher. It could have been a naughty student(s)....

The article states the teacher opened a webpage about "hairdressing" that started the popups.
--
~~Well, I think you're crazy, I think you're crazy, I think you're crazy, just like me...~~

]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17619107 Wed, 10 Jan 2007 22:45:37 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17619094 La Luna : Wow...the school doesn't protect their computers and the teacher gets nailed for it? WTF?

Maybe all teachers everywhere should start refusing to use school computers in the classroom....obviously, there's no guarantee the schools even bother with basic security and if it could happen to one teacher, it could happen to any of them.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17619094 Wed, 10 Jan 2007 22:43:59 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17619066 Psicop : Don't blame the teacher. It could have been a naughty student(s).

More responsible is the school, more specifically the IT stuff for not doing THEIR JOB, which is blocking the network from accessing pornographic pages.

The public prosecutor must be on drugs. 40 years??? Ridiculous.

:hmm:]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17619066 Wed, 10 Jan 2007 22:37:26 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17618825 KyeU : Who is liable in this case? I can think that the School Administration is liable for not renewing the content-filtering software, and/or for not spending the necessary resources to secure the school computers (and for not outlining it in guidelines that infected computers are NOT to be used).

quote:
Amero also testified she had told at least four teachers and the assistant principal at the school about the problem, but received no help.


Incompetent administration.

EDIT: And even if she happens to have a "thing" for pornography, the administration can be put to blame for having lax supply teacher entrance evaluations.

EDIT 2:

quote:
But Smith countered Horner's testimony with that of Norwich Police Detective Mark Lounsbury, a computer crimes investigator. On a projected image of the list of Web sites visited while Amero was working, Lounsbury pointed out several highlighted links.

"You have to physically click on it to get to those sites," Smith said. "I think the evidence is overwhelming that she did intend to access those Web sites."


OR you can have spyware load those pages, where IE marks them as visited even if you didn't physically click on them (tested this by making a simple HTML page with a link to Yahoo.com, then in a new window, I went to Yahoo.com. I then refreshed the simple HTML page and it shows up as being visited (purple instead of blue)).

The evidence is in fact overwhelming that she did NOT intend to access those Web sites. It's sad that an 18 year old (myself) can poke holes in a Police Detective's accusation. There's no mention of the Police Detective scanning the computer for malware/crapware/spyware.

By reading the articles and having the prosecutor insisting that she had HAD to click on the links is despicable. It seems like malware/crapware/spyware doesn't exist in Connecticut.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17618825 Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:59:21 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17618782 hpguru : Or a porn popping spyware infected hardcore jpeg choked Win box. ;)]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17618782 Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:52:45 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17618631 Dustyn :
said by justin See Profile :

sounds like more than enough grounds for a re-trial/appeal.
Agreed.
A judge allegedly falling asleep during the proceedings and reports of the jurors discussing the case outside the courts at a local restaurant is compelling enough to call a mistrial.
--
»/forum/wall]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17618631 Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:31:12 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17618605 justin : sounds like more than enough grounds for a re-trial/appeal.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17618605 Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:27:21 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17618558 Dustyn : Or Linux...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17618558 Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:20:36 EDT Re: Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17618525 Elite : Prosecutor must use a Mac...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17618525 Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:14:01 EDT Teacher could get 40 years because of spyware porn pop-ups http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17618520 wehooper : This is really disgusting. A Connecticut teacher has been convicted of exposing middle school students to pornography because the spyware infested classroom computer she used started spewing porn pop-ups. The prosecutor claimed the teacher "must" have clicked on the porn sites. Obviously, the prosecutor hasn't experienced a browser hijacking before. What happened to the teacher would have happened to anyone who used the infected machine. Now, the 40 year old teacher's reputation is shot and she could face up to 40 years in jail. Let's hope this conviction gets overturned. Maybe the anti-spyware community could lend a hand.
»sunbeltblog.blogspot.com/2007/01···ice.html ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17618520 Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:13:12 EDT