Minneapolis students use "Rickroll" prank to highlight district computer security flaws
Two Minneapolis Public Schools students used an email prank Friday to draw attention to what they say are more security flaws in the district's computer systems.
The teens, who described themselves as members of Washburn High School’s class of 2025, sent a mass email from a district account to staff and students.
Couched as a Rickroll joke, in which a prankster tricks their target into listening to Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up,” the email linked to a detailed report that the teens wrote detailing the problems that they found, including easily accessible student photos and usernames.
Ian Coldwater, a Minneapolis-based professional hacker who helps their clients find vulnerabilities in computer systems, said in a phone interview Friday that the students uncovered serious security flaws.
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