Truth be told, I was a little hesitant to write about the Boston College Computer Science major who had his computer -- and any other devices in his possession capable of data storage -- confiscated during a fraud investigation.
A Boston College senior was accused last month of hacking into BC's system and changing grades, downloading movies and music illegally, and making false allegations online about one of his dorm mates (reports suggest the dorm mate in question brought these activities to the attention of campus police). Of course, while spreading misinformation online isn't necessarily unlawful (or unusual), the other allegations certainly warrant investigation. Whether police or the IT department at BC have evidence supporting the hacking allegations beyond the accusations of the dorm mate is unclear.
A few points are clearly outlined by the affidavit and search warrant application. One, the student in question isn't unfamiliar to campus police. He was a suspect in an earlier laptop theft investigation (but it appears he was not charged or implicated further in the incident). The other? Using alternative operating systems doesn't conceal alleged criminal activity, it draws attention to it.
It's unclear if a crime was committed, but there are some lessons we all can take away from the story.
