'No silver bullet' to stop malicious email barrage at University of Moncton

Students are calling on the University of Moncton to shut down the campus email system after two more malicious messages were received by students and staff Wednesday, the latest in the "revenge porn" that has targeted a female student.

"We can confirm that a seventh and an eighth malicious emailfrom the same source were sent to members of the university community, March 1st," university spokespersonGhislaine Arsenault said.

She did not respond to a question about what the university was doing to stop the emails.

If someone wanted to just absolutely devastate any individual,the tool sets are there.- DavidShipley, UNBcybersecurityexpert

The emailswere deleted by the IT department, andArsenaultsaid the University ofMonctonwould not comment furtherbecause it doesn't want to interfere with theRCMPinvestigation.

RoxannGuerrette, president of the student unionFECUM, said students are extremely frustrated with the response from the university, and are demanding the email system be suspended until the "crisis" is over.

Faculty, staff and students have email addresses tied to a University of Moncton account.

But cybersecurity expert David Shipley, the director ofstrategic initiatives at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, said unfortunately there isn't a "silver bullet" or "simple fix"to stopthe emails.

"It's cat and mouse every time the team inMonctonis trying to adjust to this, the individual can try something new," Shipley said.

"I completely understand the frustration that folks on the campus must be feeling butI also cansympathisewith the IT team who are just trying to constantly react and adjust."

'This is just the tip of the iceberg'

Shipleysaid the only possibility for stoppingthe emails is for the university to take the extreme step of notaccepting any email messagesfrom the internet, but he isn't convinced that would stop this attacker.

Everyone should first and foremost still be thinking of the victim. This continues day after day after day and the toll that must be taking ... so we have to make sure that she knows that she's loved, supported, we're doing everything we can.-David Shipley, UNB cybersecurity expert

"Even if you were to stop acceptingemailsthese crimes can be committed using social media orwebsites... the bottom line is the technology is not the major focus here. We've got a person who iscommittingcrimes from God- knows-where, supposedly internationally, that we can't shut down."

The IT community in New Brunswick is small, and everyone is trying to think of a way to stop the attacker, who appears to have some "sophisticated skills," Shipley said.

• 'Hateful' and sexual mass emails targeting Moncton student originated outside country

"We're not government, we're not private sector, we're not military or highsecurity. These systems were set up to facilitate the exchange of information, so he's taking advantage of the university's very nature tocommitheinouscrimes."

Shipleysaid heis following the case at the University of Monctonclosely and believes the only way to stop the emailsis to arrest the individual responsible.

Students upset and worried at university over revenge emails

8 years ago

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Roxann Guerrette doesn't feel that the University of Moncton has done enough to protect students.

"This is an act of violence and power and the more attention we're giving this, I worry that this is feeding that individual," he said.

"Everyone should first and foremost still be thinking of the victim. This continues day after day after day and the toll that must be taking ... so we have to make sure that she knows that she's loved, supported, we're doing everything we can."

• Students at U of M say sexual violence policy badly needed

Police investigation continues

Shipley said the reality is that in 2017 you can figure out how to do a lot of terrible things to other people on the internet.

"If someone wanted to just absolutely devastate any individual, the tool sets are there ... this is just the tip of the iceberg.

"People need to get mad but not mad at the University of Moncton and its staff. ... They need to get mad that we've walked into a world wherewe don't even have the resources to deal with this stuff.

"We need to start going to our MPsand saying, 'If this dude is inwhatevercountry why the hell aren't we pushing for laws where we can go get people like this?'"

RCMP Sgt. Andr Pepinsaid Thursday that police are working closely with the administration at University of Moncton.

Codiac RCMPsaid earlier this week that a suspect had been identified but no arrests have been made.

Pepin wouldn't say where the suspect livesbecause it is part of the investigation, but said if the suspectwere outside Canada it would bemore difficult to make an arrest.

"Before we can arrest we have to put everything together and have the charge approved ... but everything is still under investigation we're trying to figure out exactly what can be done."