Some students coming back from fall study abroad have discovered to their dismay, what others in the University have known for months: Duke computers are under siege from hackers. Since August 2003, the Office of Information Technology has had to reinstall the operating systems of hundreds of hacked computers–the computer equivalent of a lobotomy. Although not unprecedented, the recent surge in hacking has inconvenienced many and shows no signs of abating. Former study abroad students report that a disproportionately high number of their fellow travelers have been hacked. A possible reason is that since they were gone last semester, some of these returning students may have failed to take precautions OIT recommends to guard against hacking. Full Story