Lead Exercise 2

Lead Exercise No. 2
Journalism 175

Based on the information below, write a one-paragraph lead aimed for publication in Tuesday’s Centurion. Follow AP style and pay attention to spelling and grammar. You can assume the facts are accurate.

You have 10 minutes.


This information is from Cliff Rodack, student network coordinator:

“There’s been an influx of students with insecure computers. Once security sees that the computer is infected, those students get shut off the network until their computer is reformatted, patched and have virus protection put on.”

Students should back up their files in case their computers need to be reformatted.

When a student fixes his computer without reformatting it, there is a greater chance it will be reinfected because remnants of the code may still exist.


This information is from Kathy Kimball, director of security operations and services for Bucks County Community College’s Information Technology Services:

Students should protect their computers by using personal firewalls and limiting their use of file-sharing programs to download video games and music files.

This semester, more than 500 students on the BCCC computer network have been affected by a computer bug that has forced them off the network.

“It’s a “blended threat.” “It works more like a worm than a virus, but it’s neither one.”

A blended threat might include keystroke loggers, which keep track of all typed passwords, credit card numbers and other secure information.


This information is from Symantec’s Web site:
A blended threat combines characteristics of computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses and malicious codes.