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THE CONTROVERSY: Hewlett-Packard's board of directors is under fire for conducting an investigation of its own members -- as well as members of the press -- to find out who leaked confidential information to the media.
WHAT HAPPENED: Using a technique known as "pretexting," investigators for the board obtained portions of directors' and journalists' Social Security numbers and then misrepresented themselves to phone companies to obtain phone records.
THE FALLOUT: The Securities and Exchange Commission has asked for more details about Hewlett-Packard's actions, and California's attorney general is investigating possible violations of privacy law.
WHAT HAPPENED: Using a technique known as "pretexting," investigators for the board obtained portions of directors' and journalists' Social Security numbers and then misrepresented themselves to phone companies to obtain phone records.
THE FALLOUT: The Securities and Exchange Commission has asked for more details about Hewlett-Packard's actions, and California's attorney general is investigating possible violations of privacy law.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl....DTL&type=tech
Interesting read, if you're into high-level corporate scandals. Basically, the Hewlett Packard board of directors launched a secret, internal investigation into finding out who leaked information to journalists. The private investigators that HP hired used ID theft and social engineering to illegally obtain phone records from AT&T that belonged to journalists and its own boardmembers. Now the Attorney General of the great state of California has started its own criminal investigation to determine who participated.