OSU officials close Web page after hackers attack

<br>STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) _ Oklahoma State University officials closed a Web page after discovering it had been invaded by Internet hackers. <br><br>Officials found the attack Tuesday afternoon and closed

Thursday, May 10th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) _ Oklahoma State University officials closed a Web page after discovering it had been invaded by Internet hackers.

Officials found the attack Tuesday afternoon and closed the Web page for OSU's Student Union bookstore afterward. By Wednesday, officials found 15 more servers were hit by worm software that spread profanity and anti-American slogans on the Web sites.

Bren Mathias, OSU network security officer, said computer forensic experts have examined the attacked OSU machines and found no evidence that sensitive personal, financial or academic data was viewed, copied or compromised by hackers.

The attack was purely automated, Mathias said. OSU officials are contacting those who conducted credit-card business with the bookstore and its e-commerce operation, and the bursars office.

The OSU Web site attacks are among hundreds launched since the April 1 collision of a U.S. spy plane and a Chinese jet fighter. Chinese government Web sites also have been attacked by American hackers.

Most OSU Web sites were restored by Wednesday afternoon. University of Oklahoma officials are investigating rumors of attacks on their Web sites.

``We heard the Honors College home page had been hacked, but so far, we've seen nothing,'' OU Chief Information Officer Dennis Aebersold said ``There is a war going on, and the Chinese are ahead by 10, the last I heard. ''