To be pendantic technically they were before and likely easier (unless they didn't have their records computerized but universities were early adopters there) b

To be pendantic technically they were before and likely easier (unless they didn't have their records computerized but universities were early adopters there) but there wasn't much of a point in doing so. Grade tampering would be far more likely. The black hat hacker "ecosystem" has also professionalized from doing it for kicks to doing it for the dough.