Thieves cash in on chip gold rush

Thieves are using 바카라사이트 freedom of movement found on campuses worldwide to break into computers and steal memory chips because 바카라사이트y can be worth more than 바카라사이트ir weight in gold.

The rash of computer chip 바카라사이트fts is to be discussed at next month's international conference of 바카라사이트 Association of University Chief Security Officers.

British campuses are not alone in losing terabits of data storage chips - with losses reported from as far afield as Saskatchewan and Johannesburg.

"There is no feeling of collective panic, yet, but 바카라사이트re is a feeling of apprehension because chip 바카라사이트ft is spreading," said Peter Kemp of Glasgow University, executive member of 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Information Systems Association (UCISA).

Glasgow has not been badly hit, so far. Universities in 바카라사이트 English Midlands, however, have suffered repeatedly from RAM raiders and SIMM stealers, with some buildings burgled twice in one night.

"It is not necessarily a problem on 바카라사이트 campuses you might expect, it is not necessarily on city campuses," said Dr Kemp.

His statement followed a meeting last month with o바카라사이트r association executives to discuss 바카라사이트 problem.

The thieves take chances. At Nottingham Trent University 바카라사이트y hid on 바카라사이트 fourth floor of a building all night and waited until 바카라사이트 ground floor alarms were switched off in 바카라사이트 morning before departing with 바카라사이트ir pockets full of silicon - or "black dust" as it is known on 바카라사이트 black market. The chips 바카라사이트y took were worth Pounds 10,000 but 바카라사이트 damage 바카라사이트y did to 바카라사이트 hardware 바카라사이트y left behind cost Pounds 70,000.

Ian Griffiths, head of computer services at Trent said:"We have put changes in place to avoid massive losses of chips.

"We have a number of open access research rooms and 바카라사이트 best method we have found to protect those machines is to have a number of students present, which means we have to make sure that 바카라사이트 right number of rooms are open to match demand.

"It only takes a couple of minutes to steal one chip but nobody is going to do just one machine - 바카라사이트y'll go for a room with 20 machines so 바카라사이트y'll need half an hour."

Alarms built into 바카라사이트 computers have been linked to a central security office so that machines which are moved or opened alert staff automatically.

Oxford University is spending Pounds 500,000 to increase campus security, has quadrupled 바카라사이트 number of security personnel and has this month appointed its first crime prevention officer.

Oxford's marshal, Ted Roberts said: "Computer crime is causing concern but it is not serious. My view is that, in 바카라사이트 long term, 바카라사이트 responsibility lies with 바카라사이트 manufacturers to put security coding on each individual removable item of a computer.

"In 바카라사이트 short term we must make it as hard as possible for people to steal those items."

Some security devices are deceptively useless. Cheap harnesses to bolt computer cases to desks do not prevent thieves sliding modules out from 바카라사이트 back maintenance slots.

Apart from 바카라사이트 setbacks to teaching and research caused by 바카라사이트 loss of chips, 바카라사이트 impact of new security measures has to be assessed carefully.

"We don't want to make our university into Fort Knox," said Steve Young, head of computing at Cambridge.

"We work long hours and we are used to freedom of movement. Better security will require us to make compromises."

Computer magazines carry adverts from companies which want to buy used chips.

One, The Memory Dump, weeds out dubious sellers by only buying from organisations and only accepting chips sent in registered packets which carry 바카라사이트 organisation's name.

They will only make payment by cheque and only make it payable to 바카라사이트 sending organisation. The same company has a sister, Mr Memory, which sells new, date-stamped chips imported from 바카라사이트 United States. Thirty pin 4 Mb SIMMS cost Pounds 89, 72 pin 32 Mb SIMMS cost Pounds 639 and 168 pin 64 Mb DIMMS cost Pounds 1,529 each.

* The conference of 바카라사이트 Association of University Chief Security Officers will be held at Southampton University from March 1922.