Comment Re: Must example set of him (Score 1) 629
He wasn't charged with hacking. The charge was unauthorized access.
The student had authorized access to the computing system. The student logged into the system with higher privileges without permission than the student was intended to access the system with -- using the credentials to another user's account which the student learned using lawful means (There was no surreptitious spying, keylogging, deceptive/fraudulent activity, or attacking of the computer system required to get access to the login used).
No. This is the equivalent if locking the grade book away when the student knows where the key is. It's the changing of the grade that is wrong not the finding of the key.
Ok, sure... the teacher locked the grade book away, then in plain sight of the students set the key on the desk, or left the key in the lock. The point is there is no 'breaking and entering' involved here.
The teacher/staff of the school are totally complicit in any wrongdoing, due to inadequate supervision and improper precautions. If they expected to secure their accounts, they should have actually chosen a password for the Password field, instead of using their name: which all the students are told on 1st day of class, therefore the teacher actually indirectly disclosed her password on the 1st day of class, most likely.
Except, the student didn't look at or change the grades; although the student in theory could have. Even if the student did change the grade... a criminal charge would be ridiculous. Just give the student an academic penalty and a disciplinary charge --- fail the course, suspended pending review by a disciplinary committee and possible expulsion.