by CIO Staff

HP Spying Scandal

News
Feb 16, 20075 mins
Outsourcing

Hewlett-Packard has found itself in more than a little hot water in recent days over its board of directors’ efforts to determine the source of company information leaked to media sources. Each day, additional information regarding the involvement of Chairwoman Patricia Dunn, Chief Executive Mark Hurd and other officials emerges and the scandal continues to unravel.

HP Chief Executive Mark Hurd
Mark Hurd

CIO.com is on the story, and we’ll keep you posted on the latest developments right here on our HP Spy Scandal page. Keep checking in for updated coverage.

Also, check in at our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more business technology news. 

News Stories:

U.S. FTC to Court: Crack Down on Pretexters

Posted: Feb 16 6:45 am EST

HP Names Mike Holston as General Counsel

Posted: Feb 8 9:15 a.m. EST

Calif. Offers Plea Deals to Dunn, Former HP ExecsPosted: Jan. 19 7:20 a.m. EST

HP Spying Case: Investigator to Plead Guilty, Reports Say

Jan. 12 6:30 a.m. EST

HP’s Hurd Grilled by Congress over Stock Sale

Dec. 14 7:00 a.m. EST

‘Pretexting’ Phone Records Bill Passed by Congress

Dec. 11 2:30 pm EST

HP Pays $14.5M to Settle Civil Suit Over Spying

Dec. 8 6:30 am EST

Suit Filed Against HP Adds Insider Trading AccusationsDec. 1 10:40 am EST

Former HP Chairwoman Dunn Pleads Not Guilty in Spying Case

Nov. 15 12:15 pm EST

HP CEO Hurd: I Don’t Remember Details of Probe Meeting

Nov. 2 7:20 am EST

HP E-Mail Tracer Commonly UsedOct. 9 1:45 pm EST

HP Scandal: Dunn, Fiorina Blame Perkins for DownfallOct. 9 6:30 am EST

HP Scandal: Dunn, 4 Others Charged in Calif.Oct. 5 11:45 am EST

HP Scandal: Dunn, Others to be Charged in Calif.Oct. 4 1:30 pm EST

Corporate Leak Probes Tread Fine LineOct. 3 8:00 am EST

Pretexting Legislation May Move Ahead in CongressSept. 29 3:00 pm EST

Verizon Files Suit Against HP ‘Pretexters’Sept. 29 12:15 pm EST

HP’s Hurd, Dunn Grilled by Lawmakers

Sept. 29 6:30 am EST

Baskins Pleads 5th as Politicos Blast HP

Sept. 28 11:15 am EST

HP CEO Hurd Describes ‘Rogue’ ProbeSept. 28 8:00 am EST

HP General Counsel Ann Baskins Quits

Sept. 28 7:45 am EST

HP Chairman Patricia Dunn
Patricia Dunn

House Issues 5 More Subpoenas in HP Probe

Sept. 27 1:30 pm EST

HP Lawyer Breaks Down Leak ProbeSept. 26 10:45 am EST

HP Staffer Resigns After Receiving SubpoenaSept. 26 10 am EST

HP CEO Apologizes; Dunn Out as ChairmanSept. 23 7:15 am EST

HP General Counsel, Secretary and Senior Vice President Ann Baskins
Ann Baskins

Calif. AG: No Evidence Yet to Charge HP CEO HurdSept. 22, 2:45 pm EST

HP Investigation Broadened by SECSept. 22, 7:30 am EST

HP CEO Hurd to Share Leak Probe Analysis

Sept. 21, 12:45 pm EST

HP Chair Dunn to ‘Set Record Straight’Sept. 21 8:30 am EST

HP CEO Hurd Knew of Planned DeceptionSept. 21, 7:00 am EST

HP Probe Expanded by House PanelSept. 20, 2:00 pm EST

HP’s Dunn to Testify Before House on ScandalSept. 20, 8:00 am EST

HP Turns Over Thousands of Document to House PanelSept 19, 9:30 am EST

HP Pledges to Better Connect With Customers

Sept. 19, 7:30 am EST

Reports: HP Probe Included Physical, E-Mail TrackingSept. 18, 10:30 am EST

House Committee Seeks Testimony from HP ExecsSept. 15, 3:00 pm EST

Calif. Says It Has Evidence to Charge HP Officials

Sept. 13, 1:00 pm EST

HP CEO Hurd to Take Over for Chairwoman Dunn in Jan.Sept. 12, 9:45 am EST

HP Spying Allegations Probed by DoJSept. 12, 7:00 am EST

No Decision on Sunday HP Board MeetingSept. 11, 7:00 am EST

HP Obtained Reporters’ Phone Records in ProbeSept. 8, 7:15 am EST

HP Filing Reveals Board Infighting, LeaksSept. 6, 10:30 am EST

Related Content from CIO magazine and CIO.com

Post-Mortem on Pretexting

Watch Carefully – Monitoring Technologies

Courts Say It’s Okay: Peek Away

Related Content from CSO magazine:

Snooping, by Hook or by Crook

The ROI of Digital Video Surveillance

Readers’ Reaction:

HP Spying Drama

Posted Sept. 28

By: Joab Owuor

Director

Joab & Associates

I have been following this unethical drama with lots of interest. The Hurd, Dunn and their executive colleagues shouting matches and sideshows are getting juicy. Some board decisions are simply crazy. Why take collective responsibility, resolve on weird decisions and then embark on dangerous childish hide and seek games digging into one another’s privacy. Even if there were real or imaginary threats caused by counterproductive leaks, and such unorthodox investigative decisions had to be taken, where was the critical oversight board charged with management of these risky overtures. I believe almost all the staff have been soaked into the scandal and business partners worldwide affected in one way or another.

  HP Board Lacks IntegrityPosted Sept. 14

By: Anonymous

The spying scandal is a sorry comedown for a company that HAD a reputation for excellence and integrity.

The board’s actions have been more of the CYA variety than of truthfulness.

WHAT PHONE RECORDS? The board played dumb when they realized that directors’ phone records were used in the leak investigation. No one asked, “How did we get these records?”

BOARD MEMBER RESIGNED FOR “PERSONAL REASONS”: Perkins resigned in May. HP resisted proper reporting to the SEC of the reasons for Perkins’ resignation until the past few days.

STONEWALLING: Dunn and Hurd have made only weak apologies. Dunn has been far more strident about tracing the leaks from an individual than about the corporate breech of integrity in fraudulent investigations.

PROTECTING CRIMINALS: HP has refused to identify the private investigation firm or the third party investigators who are suspected of doing the pretexting.

WEAK APPEASEMENT: Recent announcement of Board changes are weak.

1. Dunn remains chair for 4 MONTHS.

2. She remains on the Board.

3. She will be replaced by Mark Hurd, who is also CEO and President.

4. The Board will backtracking on its new rule, that the Chair and CEO would be different people. This weakens HP’s Corporate Governance.

If the Board had any integrity, it would have acted:

Immediately, upon learning of wrong doing

Wthout coverup, without excuses

Without compromise to the offenders

The Board must demand Dunn’s resignation from the Board. (There will be more legal fallout for HP if she remains, than if she leaves and HP cooperates fully with the California State, Federal, Congressional, SEC and FBI investigations).

The Board needs to have a non-executive Chair. There needs to be a check on the CEO.

The Board must make a public statement, repudiating in the strongest terms, the tactics used by its private investigators, and reiterating its stand on corporate integrity.

The Board must take ACTION to convince the business and investment community that it is determined to regain the mantle of integrity and excellence it once had under Hewlett and Packard.