Unis Lose Millions To Computer Thieves
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday September 20, 1996
Universities across the country are losing possibly millions of dollars a year from the theft of expensive computers and related equipment, prompting administrators to crack down on campus security.
Most universities have installed closed-circuit television cameras in their computer laboratories, and others will do so soon. Staff and students must identify themselves before being allowed into computer rooms.
Staff on some campuses are being warned to tie their portable computers to their desks with security cables.
While most institutions are reluctant to discuss the extent of the problem, the University of Sydney has confirmed that on-campus computer theft is costly. Internal papers reveal that computer equipment worth more than $300,000 was stolen from the sprawling campus in the first six months of this year.
This has prompted the university's insurance claims coordinator, Mr Jamie Thomson , to write a memorandum to all staff warning that "the theft of computers at the university is becoming a very expensive problem".
Mr Thomson said a failure to take adequate security precautions could lead to insurance claims being rejected and faculties or departments having to pay to replace stolen equipment.
Even when a claim was accepted, he said, departments would in future be liable to pay an excess of up to $500 if staff had been negligent or had taken inadequate measures to prevent the loss.
Sydney University is engraving all its computers and providing security locking cables to attach the machines to desks.
It is not alone. A recent study by a criminologist at the University of New England, Dr Hugh Potter, found the number of reported thefts soared by about 40 per cent between 1992 and 1994.
Dr Potter said computer thefts were estimated to account for up to two-thirds of all property crimes on campus, with "anything from individual computer chips to the whole computer box disappearing overnight".
The head of security at the University of Technology, Sydney, Mr Steve Wallace, said yesterday that while the university had lost only three computers in recent months, a range of security measures had been introduced.
Mr Wallace said security cameras had been installed in all computer laboratories and students and staff given personal identification numbers which they had to use to gain access.
"It is not a huge problem here because we have installed security cameras and other measures," he said.
"The only problem is this equipment is very expensive to set up."
At the University of NSW, the head of information technology, Ms Christine Page-Hanify , said the university had previously faced problems with the theft of computer memory cards and other components.
This had prompted it to install security cameras and special cards to staff and students, she said.
© 1996 Sydney Morning Herald
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