Credit: Thinkstock A day after Hewlett-Packard (HP) Chairwoman Patricia Dunn promised to step down for her role in a spy scandal, the state of California is continuing its effort to indict her and the private investigators she used.Dunn’s actions were not merely unethical but actually violated the law, and the state now has enough evidence to indict people both within HP and contractors outside the company, according to Thomas Dressler, a spokesman for California Attorney General Bill Lockyer.In Dunn’s efforts to discover the source of press leaks about board deliberations, HP has acknowledged that she hired a private investigation firm to pose as the 10 suspected board members and journalists in order to convince the phone company to disclose private phone records. This is a practice known as pretexting.In an interview on The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer Tuesday, Lockyer said that under California law, people involved in the probe could be charged with crimes both for falsely taking another person’s identity and for accessing computer records with their personal information. Dressler confirmed Lockyer’s comments. HP hired investigation firm Security Outsourcing Solutions (SOS), which shares its Boston offices with a law firm called Bonner, Kiernan, Trebach and Crociata, according to a report in The New York Times that cited sources close to the case. The Times also said the California and Massachusetts attorney generals are working together on the case.Dressler declined to confirm the name of the security firm HP hired, or whether California and Massachusetts are working together on the case. “I’m not going to deny it, but beyond what the attorney general said, I’m not going to comment. It’s not prudent for prosecutors to mention names before bringing charges,” Dressler said.A call to SOS on Wednesday was answered by a woman who recited the name of the law firm, but denied the two businesses were connected. She declined to give her name, and said that no one was immediately available for comment.Ironically, an SOS newsletter posted on the firm’s website warns corporate executives that their privacy is at risk since their Web surfing and e-mail records can be traced by Internet browsers and cookies. It advises clients to shield their identities by using a website called Anonymizer.com.-Ben Ames, IDG News Service (Boston Bureau)Related Links: HP CEO Hurd to Take Over for Chairwoman Dunn HP Obtained Reporters’ Phone Records in Probe HP Filing Reveals Board Infighting, LeaksCheck out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content brandpost Sponsored by Freshworks When your AI chatbots mess up AI ‘hallucinations’ present significant business risks, but new types of guardrails can keep them from doing serious damage By Paul Gillin Dec 08, 2023 4 mins Generative AI brandpost Sponsored by Dell New research: How IT leaders drive business benefits by accelerating device refresh strategies Security leaders have particular concerns that older devices are more vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. By Laura McEwan Dec 08, 2023 3 mins Infrastructure Management case study Toyota transforms IT service desk with gen AI To help promote insourcing and quality control, Toyota Motor North America is leveraging generative AI for HR and IT service desk requests. By Thor Olavsrud Dec 08, 2023 7 mins Employee Experience Generative AI ICT Partners feature CSM certification: Costs, requirements, and all you need to know The Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) certification sets the standard for establishing Scrum theory, developing practical applications and rules, and leading teams and stakeholders through the development process. By Moira Alexander Dec 08, 2023 8 mins Certifications IT Skills Project Management Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe