College Sports Information Directors of America

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Hacker Breaks Into Tennessee System

From The Tennessean.com

A hacker broke into a University of Tennessee computer containing names, ad-dresses and Social Security numbers of about 36,000 past and present employees, but university officials said Thursday that they doubt the data was used.

The hacker apparently used the computer over a nine-month period, from August until May, only to store and transmit movies, a university statement said.

"Although we have no indication the hacker accessed or used the personal information, we are taking the precaution of notifying everyone whose information was on the database," said Brice Bible, assistant vice president for information technology.

The university was "urging them to take steps to protect themselves," he said.

Bible said the university was conducting "a thorough investigation."

"Every precaution is being taken to safeguard security, including a thorough review of file storing and sharing and strengthening security measures in the affected area," he said.

A toll-free hot line will be set up Monday to answer questions from affected employees and student employees who worked for the university on or before last August. The university also directed employees to an internal Web site to review security protocols.

Links of Interest

• Follow the money in doping scandal: Fans will remain interested in sport, corporate sponsors may be scared off [Tour de France], Houston Chronicle, July 3, 2006, Dale Robertson. http://tinyurl.com/zfo6a
• How to Protect Data on a Laptop; Encryption software helps, and there is even a LoJack for computers. But prevention may be the best solution, Los Angeles Times, July 1, 2006, James Gilden. (Free registration) http://tinyurl.com/fr6z7
• Second thoughts: Phillies say mistakes made in Myers case, Philadelphia Inquirer, June 29, 2006, Jim Salisbury. (Free registration) http://tinyurl.com/jd9yv
• Advertising World, Meet PR: If Marketing Is Becoming a Conversation, One Field Has Long Traded in Dialogue, Advertising Age, June 26, 2006, Steve Rubel. (Subscription required) http://tinyurl.com/ekhg6
• When the boss does a job on you, Newsday, June 25, 2006, Patricia Kitchen. http://tinyurl.com/nb8u9
• Report: Former Knicks coach violated team policy by conducting interviews without PR official present, PR Tactics and The Strategist Online http://www.prsa.org/viewNews.cfm?pNewsID=385
• Royals respond to credentials controversy [Media relations], Associated Press, June 15, 2006. http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/mlb/article/0,2777,DRMN_23924_4778455,00.htm

• Survey: 52 percent of organizations have disaster plans, PR Tactics and The Strategist Online
• 10 tips for talk show guests, PR Tactics and The Strategist Online
• Top 10 mistakes for press release writers, PR Tactics and The Strategist Online
• Survey: AP style remans extremely important, PR Tactics and The Strategist Online
• http://www.prsa.org/_Publications/magazines/0205spot.asp

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