A COMPUTER hacker targeted a primary school computer system The Gazette can exclusively reveal.

The head teacher at Nettlestone Primary School, described in OFSTED reports as a school “that rocks”, held emergency talks and meetings with an IT specialist on Wednesday (December 1) to help beef up the security and firewall after the breaches.

The Gazette has learned that access was gained using the school IP address and an easily downloadable program from the Internet to crack the system password that the school had failed to change since the system was installed.

Mrs Belder also called in Hampshire Police to see if there had been any wrongdoings.

Nettlestone Primary head Caroline de Belder said: “Last week, an IT system that contained no sensitive or confidential information was accessed by an unauthorized party, who used the system to enter an online auction site.

“This kind of activity is increasingly being used by some unscrupulous Internet users in this country and from abroad, in order to conceal their identity when sending messages or bidding on-line.”

“Not only did the system not contain any confidential data, no attempt was made to gain information in any case.

“The unauthorized usage was quickly spotted and stopped and systems put in place to ensure the access could not re-occur.”

A letter was also sent home to parents on Thursday advising them of the security breach and explaining the school were working with the IT specialists and the police.

A spokesman for Hampshire and IW Police confirmed that the school had called the local officers, who had called at the school after the discovery.

One parent whose child attends the school and who did not wish to be named said “You would expect better from a school when it comes to protecting their computers.”