UF police have suspect in erroneous text message

January 21, 2009

Updated 1/21/09 4:30 p.m.

University of Florida police say they have a suspect in the unauthorized text message sent Tuesday night that prompted speculation and some concern among students and staff.

The suspect’s name is being withheld because of an ongoing police investigation into the matter. How that person accessed the system remains unclear.

UF police are working with the State Attorney’s Office and the Gainesville Police Department to determine into whose jurisdiction the case falls before pursuing criminal charges, said UF police Chief Linda Stump.

University officials made clear that the message was not authorized by UF nor by Mobile Campus or Acceleration, the companies that provide the university’s text messaging service.

UF officials say their top priority remains safeguarding students’ and staff members’ private data. The UF Alert text messaging system normally is used to send out messages about campus emergencies, including campus closings and imminent dangers. Students are asked to provide or update their cell phone numbers each semester when they register for classes.

The text message, which was sent about 8:45 p.m. Tuesday, read, “The monkey got out of the cage.” Theories about its meaning were plentiful on blogs, but university officials declined to add to the speculation.

“I’ve received numerous calls and comments from people who were offended by the message, and that’s unfortunate,” said Patricia Telles-Irvin, vice president for student affairs. “The simple truth is, the message wasn’t ours and we don’t know what the message meant.”

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Texting vendor investigating erroneous message

Many University of Florida students and staff members received an erroneous text message Tuesday night that raised concerns and curiosity.

The university’s text message service vendor has been working through the night and this morning to determine how the message was sent and by whom. University officials’ primary concern is determining whether there was a security breach and whether the UF Alert text message system and its data were compromised.

Please check back here for updates.