Hacker attack on CatCard database unsuccessful

One "Liz Taylor" is the UA CatCard director.

Another is an internationally known film star.

But a hacker was just using the name while trying to break into the University of Arizona CatCard database, Chief Budget Officer Dick Roberts said Friday.

Someone using StarNet, the online service of the Arizona Daily Star, tried to breach the system twice by signing in as Taylor.

"My view is it wasn't an accident and it was intentional because the log-in they attempted was for Liz Taylor," said Roberts, who also serves on the CatCard Executive Committee.

Roberts said a UA computing employee noticed a server log that revealed several logon attempts under Taylor's computer alias coming from a computer she is not authorized to use.

Though the attempt was unsuccessful, the UA will "beef up the security system," Roberts said.

"This is the first time we know of that someone tried to get information, but they could have changed data if they got past the door," he said. "The bad news is someone tried it - the good news is the security worked."

University police and the UA attorneys' office were both investigating the incident, Roberts said.

Taylor was out of town Friday and unavailable for comment.