Stanford ticket computer takes hacker attack

No reports of use of credit card data

BY RODNEY FOO

Mercury News Staff Writer

A hacker breached a computer used by the Stanford ticket office, forcing credit card companies to warn 32,000 customers that their card information may be compromised, authorities said Friday.

But so far, there have been no reports or evidence that the credit card numbers have been accessed or used, said Eileen Walsh, a Stanford University spokeswoman.

``Our security (people) think that the person may not have been aware of the credit card numbers'' stored in the computer, Walsh said.

The computer is used to process tickets for stage and dance performances, but not athletic events. Citing security reasons, officials declined to say how long the hacker may have had access to the computer. The breach was discovered on Feb. 14 by university computer security officers.

The school immediately took the server offline and notified campus police and credit card companies.

Stanford decided to notify the financial institutions that oversee the credit cards instead of the card holders because the companies were likely to be able to reach the customers faster and also be able to monitor misuse of accounts. Investigators speculate that the hacker used the school computer to connect to several Internet chat rooms to disguise the computer of origin.

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-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), March 12, 2000