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Volume 62 Issue 3

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On newsstands weekly

Volume 62 Issue 3

Thursday, October 3, 2024

THE USD VISTA VISTA

The Official Student Newspaper of the University of San Diego since 1968

The potential ramifications of Diddy’s indictment Students reactions to the news of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

ELLIE SKJERSAA ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Hidden in the darkest corners of Hollywood, the secrets of major celebrities and leading influencers remain untouched and confidential. However, the disturbing allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs have recently risen to the surface, prompting his arrest and indictment on Sept. 17, 2024. Combs currently faces charges of human trafficking, racketeering and drug distribution without bail and also has allegations of sexual assault and coercion. He is currently being held in the Brooklyn Detention Center and is awaiting a trial date, although his next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 9. Comb’s lead attorney Marc Agnifilo, is pushing for a speedy trial which means that in federal cases, the jury trial must begin within 70 days from when the indictment was filed. In 1993, Comb’s created the record label “Bad Boy Records” with the help of Arista Records where he signed big-time artists such as The Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans and Craig Mac. On top of this, his albums had immense success with many

Digitally altered images, like the one above, have been spread online in memes about Diddy. Photo courtesy of @bosslogic/Instagram

songs hitting the Billboard 100 chart including “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down” and “I’ll Be Missing You.” He has won three Grammy awards, making his successful career undeniable.

However, in light of recent events, his career may face a tragic end. “His career and public image are ruined,” USD senior Jonathan Martinez said. “I feel like nowadays in society, it only takes

one thing to completely change the narrative around you. Even if he were somehow found to be innocent, which I highly doubt, everything is done for him.” This controversial artist

USD ITS goes ‘phishing’ One type of message fills the inboxes of students and faculty alike: scam emails. Phishing emails, or messages that ‘fish’ for certain information, are utilized by hackers to gain access to sensitive and private information. Many students receive phishing emails in the form of job postings, which promise hefty stipends for minimal work — with a caveat. You often need to provide a Social Security Number (SSN) or other personal information in order to apply for these positions. In some cases, these scams resemble legitimate messages. However, others are recognizably fake. Some students have received emails that impersonated President James T. Harris III and requested their contact information. USD senior Diana Smith shared how real some phishing emails are. “Well, they make it seems

so real,” Smith explained. “And then they bring up things like tuition or like financial aid, and I’m not gonna like, I’m not gonna joke about that. And so I click on it, but then they’re joking.” USD Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer of

Daniel Miranda/The USD Vista

Information Technology Services (ITS) Elazar Harel provided insight into phishing emails and why they flood students’ inboxes.

“When users enter their credentials or personal data, attackers may gain access not only to their accounts but to the entire network, making the university an appealing target for phishers to penetrate,” Harel explained. “They especially look for people with weak security awareness who are not f a m i l i a r with cyber attacks. Students a n d faculty receive t h e m b e c a u s e educational institutions are one of the prime targets due to the vast amount of personal data they hold.” Phishing emails are becoming far more advanced and convincing than in the past. The increasing power of artificial intelligence streamlines

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See Diddy, Page 5

INSIDE

Beware of scam emails filling inboxes

EMMA PIRHALA NEWS EDITOR

has had civil lawsuits against him that have alleged sexual assault and violence for many years, some even dating back to the 90s. In 2023, his ex-wife Casaandra Ventura joined the long list of women and men who have accused the rapper of violent crimes. A 2016 hotel surveillance video was retrieved by CNN and depicted a scene of Comb attacking Ventura. Two days later he released a video admitting and apologizing about his actions. However, he has denied all charges that he is facing currently. Because many other celebrities are involved in these allegations, some students sense that this could be a turning point in Hollywood. “I feel like there’s a really big disconnect between celebrity status and normal people,” USD senior Raquel Simoes-Rutt said. “Normal people view them differently and don’t see things they do as seriously as they should because they are held to a different status and historically have been excused for things. Maybe if this continues to be as big as it is, it will open peoples eyes to see how convoluted the whole system and Hollywood is.” Well known celebrities such as Ashton Kutcher, Usher, Jay-Z and others have been photographed at

hackers’ activities by improving the quality of the messages, making them more persuasive. Many phishing emails utilize compromised email addresses within an organization’s domain to build credibility and gain trust within a network. For example, a phishing email sent to some students and faculty members on Sep. 16 came from an email with a USD domain. The convincing job posting received attention from those in the USD community due to its apparent trustworthiness. Once attackers acquire access to the victims’ accounts, they may drain assets from financial accounts, breach important data or impersonate the identity they stole. To prevent phishing, ITS utilizes a variety of methods to promote awareness. Duo Mobile, a multi-factor authentication tool, used by all USD students and faculty reduces the risk of accounts being stolen by hackers. ITS reported an incident where USDOne accounts were compromised when

See Phishing, Page 2

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Architecture shed See News, page 3

Nicki Minaj concert See A&C, page 5

Humanities podcast See Feature, page 8

Deleting social media See Opinion, page 10

Women’s volleyball See Sports, page 12


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