Just when you thought that individuals couldn't sink any lower it has been widely reported that "porn hackers" have created up to 20 spoof primary school websites full of indecent pornographic images.

Due to a security vulnerability at the service provider MOODLE, hackers were able to exploit the site and create new spoof content which has outraged teaching staff, parents and most decent human beings! Moodle is a free on-line package used by millions across the world, that enables students and teachers to communicate with each other across the Internet.

Hackers created bogus sites that could be inadvertently accessed by pupils who searched for their school websites while at home, revealed the Times Educational Supplement (TES). 

Moodle company founder Martin Dougiamas told the TES: "All known vulnerabilities have been fixed and we've released lots of new versions of Moodle."

But he said many schools had not upgraded to the latest version, adding: "Schools often don't have very good IT support and neglect this kind of vital maintenance, even though we try to notify them."

Schools are duty bound to provide URL Web Content filtering from within their network so it unlikely that this inappropriate content could have been viewed from within the school network. However, children, parents and teaching staff may wall have inadvertently visited the bogus sites from home.

At time of writing this blog Net-Ctrl are not able to comment on the level and type of Internet gateway security deployed to protect the Moddle web server infrastructure but this incident further underlines the requirement for regular security audit and the deployment of high-end layer 7 application proxy firewalls, such as MacAfee Sidewinder (SecureFirewall).

Net-Ctrl works closely with schools and LEAs to provide secure network environments. Most recently having multiple successes with Ruckus Wireless which provides excellent coverage at low cost, as featured at the BETT exhibition and on the Edugeek forum.

If you'd like to know more about protecting your on-line assets, your reputation and brand, then please contact us.