Dawson College Student Hamed Al-Khabaz Finds Security Flaw, Gets Expelled | HuffPost

College Student Finds Security Flaw, Gets Expelled

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Senior Editor/Reporter, The Huffington Post

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A Montreal student was expelled from college after finding a serious security flaw in his school's computer system used by most Quebec General and Vocational Colleges.

Hamed Al-Khabaz, a 20-year-old Dawson College student, was developing a mobile app when he discovered "sloppy coding," which would allow "anyone with a basic knowledge of computers to gain access to the personal information of any student in the system, including social insurance number, home address and phone number, class schedule, basically all the information the college has on a student.”

Al-Khabaz told the Toronto Star it could've affected more than 250,000 Quebec students. He reported it to the school's Director of Information Services and Technology and was told the company that made the software, Skytech, would quickly take care of it.

A few days later, Al-Khabaz decided to check to see if it was fixed with a software program called Acunetix, the National Post reports. He got a call from Skytech president Edouard Taza accusing Al-Khabaz of a cyber attack. Al-Khabaz apologized and tried to explain that he wasn't doing anything malicious.

Gizmodo summarized what happened next:

Al-Khabaz apologized, and eventually signed an NDA forbidding him from discussing the case, but that wasn't the end of it. Despite the Skytech people acknowledging that there was no malicious intent, Dawson's faculty held a vote on whether it should expel him for "unprofessional conduct." Al-Khabaz was not allowed to speak on his own behalf, and 14 of 15 professors voted to expel him—rendering his grades for the semester zeroes across the board. Two motions for appeal have been turned down.

Dawson director general Richard Filion told the CBC the school had no choice because Al-Khabaz was "guilty in a criminal act," though the college hasn't contacted police.

A statement posted on Dawson's website stands by the decision to expel Al-Khabaz, but added, "Under the terms of Quebec privacy laws, it is illegal to discuss the details of student files with individuals or with the media."

The Dawson Student Union is working to try to get Al-Khabaz reinstated. An online petition currently has 7,656 signatures from around the world in support of him.

Al-Khabaz told the National Post he had been "acing" his classes, but now his dream of getting a computer science degree seems unobtainable.

"I really want this degree, and now I won’t be able to get it," Al-Khabaz said. "My academic career is completely ruined. In the wrong hands, this breach could have caused a disaster. Students could have been stalked, had their identities stolen, their lockers opened and who knows what else. I found a serious problem, and tried to help fix it. For that I was expelled.”

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Before You Go

The "First" Colleges

First University(01 of14)

The first university in the English-speaking world was the University of Oxford. While its date of inception is unclear, its site states that "teaching existed at Oxford in some form in 1096 and developed rapidly from 1167, when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris." Today, there are over 21,000 students at Oxford, including 11,752 undergraduates and 9,621 postgraduates. Photo Credit: Stannered (credit:Wikimedia Commons)

First College(02 of14)

This first has been debated by a few schools, but it seems as though more literature has been written about Harvard University establishing itself in 1636 as the "oldest institution of higher learning" in the U.S. William & Mary considers itself the second oldest.Photo Credit: Jacobolus (credit:Wikimedia Commons)

First Football Game(03 of14)

Rutgers and Princeton both played the first game of intercollegiate American football in 1869. Rutgers defeated Princeton 6-4 at home in New Brunswick, N.J. Photo Credit: Rickyrab (credit:Wikimedia Commons)

First To Sell Plan B Via Vending Machines(04 of14)

It is unofficially fact that Shippensburg University is the first college to offer the Plan B pill to its students by selling the pill from school vending machines. Photo Credit: CgboereePhoto Credit: (credit:Wikimedia Commons)

First Black College(05 of14)

Cheyney University is the oldest African-American institute of higher learning in the country. It was founded in 1837 as the African Institute then renamed that same year as the Institute for Colored Youth. Today, it is 175 years old with over 1,500 students in attendance. Photo Credit: Smallbones (credit:Wikimedia Commons)

First For Women(06 of14)

Wesleyan College was chartered in 1836 and is credited as being the first college to grant degrees to females. It also has the world's first and oldest alumnae association, which began in 1859. Additionally, it was the first college with sororities. Correction: The photo originally placed within this slide was of Wesleyan University. The photo now accurately represents the campus of Wesleyan College.Photo Credit: Facebook (credit:Facebook)

First Clown College(07 of14)

The Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey College was established as the first ever clown college in 1968 to formally train young aspiring clowns. Photo Credit: Facebook (credit:Facebook)

Anti-Slavery In The South(08 of14)

Berea College was established by an anti-slavery advocate during the mid-1800s. The school was the first non-segregated, co-educational school established in the South. Photo Credit: Lance HIll (credit:Wikimedia Commons)

Oldest Film School(09 of14)

The USC School of Cinematic Arts, located in Los Angeles, is the oldest film school in the country. It is part of the University of Southern California. It was established in 1929.Photo Credit: Joe Mabel established (credit:Wikimedia Commons)

Basketball Team(10 of14)

The first college basketball team formed at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. The team was created by Professor Charles O. Bemies. He coached the team's first game in 1893 with peach baskets for goal hoops; the team won 3-0 against a local YMCA team. Photo Credit: Bmstephany (credit:Wikimedia Commons)

Class Rings(11 of14)

West Point Academy is thought to be the first college to begin the tradition of class rings. Photo Credit: The Pictorial News Company (credit:Wikimedia Commons)

Oldest Academic Society(12 of14)

The nation's oldest academic society, Phi Beta Kappa, was founded by five students at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1776. Photo Credit: Pascal Auricht (credit:Wikimedia Commons)

First Catholic University(13 of14)

Georgetown University is the oldest Jesuit and Catholic university in the United States and was founded in 1789. They also have the oldest continuously running collegiate theater troupe in the United States. (credit:AP)

First Student Newspaper(14 of14)

Rutgers gets the credit for this one; The Political Intelligencer and New Jersey Adviser was the first student newspaper in the U.S. It began publication at Queen's College in 1783, but ceased operation in 1785. (credit:Rutgers Timeline)

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