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Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2006 16:20:57 -0400
To: TSCM-L <TSCM-..._at_googlegroups.com>
From: "James M. Atkinson" <jm..._at_tscm.com>
Subject: HP spied on me ... and my family
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14955473/from/RS.1/
HP spied on me ... and my family
For one reporter, computer company's tactics go from clownish to creepy
By Elizabeth Corcoran
Forbes
Updated: 1:27 p.m. ET Sept 22, 2006
BURLINGAME, Calif. - Hewlett-Packard has my=20
number. Not only my work and cell phone number,=20
but probably also the numbers of my father, the=20
nanny of my son=92s best friend and a host of=20
others. My husband, George Anders, works for The=20
Wall Street Journal. He was one of the nine=20
journalists targeted by private investigators=20
hired by HP to figure out who was leaking corporate information to the pres=
s.
For us, the story has gone from weirdly funny to=20
downright creepy as more details have emerged.=20
Ultimately, there are going to be quite a few=20
casualties from this hit-and-run demolition of HP=92s ethical standards.
We entered the story when a beleaguered sounding=20
HP spokesman called us at home one evening to=20
tell us about the probe and apologize for the=20
fact that investigators hired by HP decided to snoop through our phone reco=
rds.
We were, quite honestly, surprised: My husband=20
published a book about HP and Carly Fiorina in=20
2003. Since then, he=92s written stories about=20
everything from options guzzling executives to=20
quaint ghost towns=97but only an occasional piece=20
on HP. A few days later, news dribbled out that=20
the investigators had rifled through the phone=20
records of the PR guy, too. (HP=92s bosses say=20
they=92re sorry about that one as well.)
As it turns out, the techniques the investigators=20
considered seem unbounded by decency, common=20
sense or even by a budget. Along with=20
scrutinizing phone records, they watched people's=20
homes and even thought about planting spies=20
disguised as janitors in the offices of The Wall=20
Street Journal and CNET to look for clues.
HP executives, too, seemed to be devoting an=20
astonishing amount of time to faking out one=20
journalist in particular, reporter Dawn Kawamoto=20
of CNET. The Washington Post has served up some=20
astonishing details of the HP plot. Senior=20
counsel Kevin Hunsaker apparently oversaw the=20
investigation, which was largely handled by=20
private firms in states that follow the old East=20
German approach toward privacy.
Hunsaker helped create a fictitious persona,=20
=93Jacob,=94 who would leak inaccurate information to=20
Kawamoto. By including a =93tracer=94 program in=20
Jacob=92s e-mail, investigators hoped to track down=20
anyone Kawamoto later e-mailed with the fake=20
news. (Like all too many programs, the software turned out to be a dud.)
The Post reports that on Feb. 22, Hunsaker sent a=20
copy of the faked product information to HP Chair=20
Patricia Dunn and general counsel Ann Baskins in=20
an e-mail. "I made up everything in the slide,=20
trying to make it at least somewhat feasible,"=20
Hunsaker wrote to Dunn and Baskins. "I won't quit=20
my day job, but hopefully neither the name nor=20
the information on the slide are terribly off-base."
One private investigator, a long-time family=20
friend, scoffed at the methods reportedly=20
employed by the firms working on behalf of HP.=20
Any investigator worth his retainer could have=20
used much subtler methods, our friend suggested.
All of which begs the question: Is every company spying on people?
Just about every publicly held company worries=20
about leaks. The most obvious leaks occur during=20
the so-called =93quiet=94 period=97the typically 20 or=20
so days after a company closes its financial=20
quarter and before it reports the results.=20
Trading on these results is a big no-no=20
(otherwise known as insider trading). But=20
frequently analysts=92 estimates of quarterly=20
results get awfully close to the mark during those magical =93quiet=94 days=
.
To try to stem leaks, company managers will zero=20
in on the employees who get a glimpse of e-mails.=20
Companies can=97and do=97monitor e-mail. Routinely.
Some companies let employees know that the=20
penalties for talking to the press are stiff. At=20
Apple Computer, CEO Steve Jobs has lashed out at=20
those suspected of dealing in leaked Apple=20
information. In January 2005, Apple sued a Web=20
site, Think Secret, run by a then-19-year old,=20
for allegedly soliciting insider information from=20
employees and publishing it on the site. You can=20
bet Jobs lost little sleep in going after anyone=20
inside Apple who might have gossiped with Think Secret.
Scott McNealy, formerly CEO of Sun Microsystems,=20
put it succinctly in 1999 when he said, =93You have zero privacy. Get over =
it.=94
Ironically, McNealy was less hung up on leaks=20
than many other Valley CEOs. In the mid 1990s,=20
when Sun made a bid to acquire Apple, insiders on=20
both sides of the proposed deal were throwing=20
buckets of details to the press in hopes of=20
nudging the sale price up or down. One insider=20
told me that McNealy never bothered trying to=20
figure out who was leaking what. (Ultimately, the=20
deal tanked for other reasons.)
Clearly those days are over. The level of=20
suspicion has risen dramatically. Journalists=20
must weigh whether information is fabricated and=20
interviews covertly monitored. Sources, too, will=20
feel that no conversation is ever private.
Zero privacy=97and zero trust. These are poignant=20
legacies for HP to give to the Valley.
We Hunt Spies, We Stop Espionage, We Kill Bugs, and We Plug Leaks.
James M. Atkinson, President and Sr. Engineer
Granite Island Group
127 Eastern Avenue #291
Gloucester, MA 01930-8008
Phone: (978) 546-3803
Fax: (978) 546-9467
Web: <
http://www.tscm.com/>
http://www.tscm.com/
E-Mail: <mailto:jm..._at_tscm.com>jm..._at_tscm.com
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<body>
<br>
<a href=3D"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14955473/from/RS.1/" eudora=3D"autou=
rl">
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14955473/from/RS.1/</a><br><br>
HP spied on me ... and my family <br>
For one reporter, computer company's tactics go from clownish to
creepy<br>
By Elizabeth Corcoran<br>
Forbes<br><br>
Updated: 1:27 p.m. ET Sept 22, 2006<br><br>
BURLINGAME, Calif. - Hewlett-Packard has my number. Not only my work and
cell phone number, but probably also the numbers of my father, the nanny
of my son=92s best friend and a host of others. My husband, George Anders,
works for The Wall Street Journal. He was one of the nine journalists
targeted by private investigators hired by HP to figure out who was
leaking corporate information to the press.<br><br>
For us, the story has gone from weirdly funny to downright creepy as more
details have emerged. Ultimately, there are going to be quite a few
casualties from this hit-and-run demolition of HP=92s ethical
standards.<br><br>
We entered the story when a beleaguered sounding HP spokesman called us
at home one evening to tell us about the probe and apologize for the fact
that investigators hired by HP decided to snoop through our phone
records.<br><br>
We were, quite honestly, surprised: My husband published a book about HP
and Carly Fiorina in 2003. Since then, he=92s written stories about
everything from options guzzling executives to quaint ghost towns=97but
only an occasional piece on HP. A few days later, news dribbled out that
the investigators had rifled through the phone records of the PR guy,
too. (HP=92s bosses say they=92re sorry about that one as well.) <br><br>
As it turns out, the techniques the investigators considered seem
unbounded by decency, common sense or even by a budget. Along with
scrutinizing phone records, they watched people's homes and even thought
about planting spies disguised as janitors in the offices of The Wall
Street Journal and CNET to look for clues. <br><br>
HP executives, too, seemed to be devoting an astonishing amount of time
to faking out one journalist in particular, reporter Dawn Kawamoto of
CNET. The Washington Post has served up some astonishing details of the
HP plot. Senior counsel Kevin Hunsaker apparently oversaw the
investigation, which was largely handled by private firms in states that
follow the old East German approach toward privacy.<br><br>
Hunsaker helped create a fictitious persona, =93Jacob,=94 who would leak
inaccurate information to Kawamoto. By including a =93tracer=94 program in
Jacob=92s e-mail, investigators hoped to track down anyone Kawamoto later
e-mailed with the fake news. (Like all too many programs, the software
turned out to be a dud.)<br><br>
The Post reports that on Feb. 22, Hunsaker sent a copy of the faked
product information to HP Chair Patricia Dunn and general counsel Ann
Baskins in an e-mail. "I made up everything in the slide, trying to
make it at least somewhat feasible," Hunsaker wrote to Dunn and
Baskins. "I won't quit my day job, but hopefully neither the name
nor the information on the slide are terribly off-base."<br><br>
One private investigator, a long-time family friend, scoffed at the
methods reportedly employed by the firms working on behalf of HP. Any
investigator worth his retainer could have used much subtler methods, our
friend suggested. <br><br>
All of which begs the question: Is every company spying on
people?<br><br>
Just about every publicly held company worries about leaks. The most
obvious leaks occur during the so-called =93quiet=94 period=97the typically=
20
or so days after a company closes its financial quarter and before it
reports the results. Trading on these results is a big no-no (otherwise
known as insider trading). But frequently analysts=92 estimates of
quarterly results get awfully close to the mark during those magical
=93quiet=94 days. <br><br>
To try to stem leaks, company managers will zero in on the employees who
get a glimpse of e-mails. Companies can=97and do=97monitor e-mail. Routinel=
y.
<br><br>
Some companies let employees know that the penalties for talking to the
press are stiff. At Apple Computer, CEO Steve Jobs has lashed out at
those suspected of dealing in leaked Apple information. In January 2005,
Apple sued a Web site, Think Secret, run by a then-19-year old, for
allegedly soliciting insider information from employees and publishing it
on the site. You can bet Jobs lost little sleep in going after anyone
inside Apple who might have gossiped with Think Secret. <br><br>
Scott McNealy, formerly CEO of Sun Microsystems, put it succinctly in
1999 when he said, =93You have zero privacy. Get over it.=94<br><br>
Ironically, McNealy was less hung up on leaks than many other Valley
CEOs. In the mid 1990s, when Sun made a bid to acquire Apple, insiders on
both sides of the proposed deal were throwing buckets of details to the
press in hopes of nudging the sale price up or down. One insider told me
that McNealy never bothered trying to figure out who was leaking what.
(Ultimately, the deal tanked for other reasons.) <br><br>
Clearly those days are over. The level of suspicion has risen
dramatically. Journalists must weigh whether information is fabricated
and interviews covertly monitored. Sources, too, will feel that no
conversation is ever private.<br><br>
Zero privacy=97and zero trust. These are poignant legacies for HP to give
to the Valley. <br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<font size=3D2 color=3D"#FF0000"><i>We Hunt Spies, We Stop Espionage, We Ki=
ll
Bugs, and We Plug Leaks.<br><br>
</i></font><b>James M. Atkinson, President and Sr. Engineer<br>
Granite Island Group<br>
</b>127 Eastern Avenue #291<br>
Gloucester, MA 01930-8008<br>
Phone: (978) 546-3803<br>
Fax: (978) 546-9467<br>
Web: <a href=3D"
http://www.tscm.com/">
http://www.tscm.com/</a><br>
E-Mail: <a href=3D"mailto:jm..._at_tscm.com"><i>jm..._at_tscm.com<br><br>
</a></i></body>
</html>
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Received on Sat Mar 02 2024 - 00:57:24 CST