Little hackers crack school passwords

CHANDIGARH: Schools may ban mobile phone, students have secret pockets to smuggle it in.Denied internet, they have cracked schools' Wi-Fi passwords with tricks picked up over the internet.The apps in their hand allow them to

remote control projectors

and air-conditioners from their mobile phones.Classroom spies help teachers catch some mischief makers, the others get away . “Misusing such an app, a student minimised the projector image repeatedly during a classroom lecture. Assuming it to be a glitch, we kept resetting the projector display, interrupting the lecture every time. After a few days, some students told me what was on. We gave the offender an opportunity to declare himself and he did come up and apologise,“ biology tutor Arvind Goyal said.

“Students are immature, but their parents are wise enough to know that school-age children should not be given Smartphone. Even the use of internet on laptop and tablet computers should be under parental guidance. Working parents should switch on Wi-Fi only when at least one of them is at home. Teach children to be truthful about internet usage. Monitor their internet usage on your devices and get the usage details in your monthly bill,“ Goyal says.

He is for teaching children that hacking is like stealing, and they will be thieves if they do so. “Do not encourage children to hack songs, movies, and apps just to save a little bit of money . Be a good example to them. As parents and teachers, we also need to set our standards high,“ Goyal said.

Students use the official

WiFi commonly in the government schools

. “We have caught them on mobile phones many times, but since no action is taken against them, they are not deterred. The school's Wi-Fi data pack expires fast. They have tricks to unlock the password,“ Swarn Singh Kamboj, who has taught at

Government Model Senior Secondary School

in Sectors 20 and 22, said.

Computer teacher Vikrant Kalia said: “Students may be smart but schools are smarter.We limit the number of Wi-Fi users, change password frequently , and limit the Wi-Fi zone to administrative blocks.“

Schools are getting after parents who provide teenagers with Smartphone. On Wednesday , a school called parents to a

special meeting on Blue Whale

and its risks. The attendance was only 27%. A Mohali-based school had zero attendance during a cyber-security seminar.