Password bootleggers

["James J. O'Donnell" <jod@georgetown.edu>]

Two websites have surfaced in recent days, 
http://www.journalpassword.com and http://www.passfans.com, that 
present login and password combinations that are good for a 
variety of University libraries around the world.  The point is 
that with such login (often the login to the proxy server), a 
reader can then navigate to whatever proprietary and subscription 
databases, e-journals, and the like the given University has to 
offer.  I am aware of institutions working to make sure that any 
of their own information posted on these sites is invalidated 
immediately, but obviously libraries and publishers will both be 
concerned.  Just at the moment journalpassword.com seems 
disabled, but passfans.com is up and running, though it seems to 
hide the login/password information behind a thin screen of 
requiring visitors to register.

Jim O'Donnell
Georgetown U.