harassment

Defcon isn't your typical tech conference. Happening in the heat of Las Vegas every summer, it attracts throngs of hackers -- 15,000 this year -- who are eager to learn about, and test out, the latest methods of breaking into computer networks, hacking phones, and general slaying of any type of security system imaginable.

Security professionals and researchers give highly technical talks, but the event is known as much for its side-show theatrics, hacking contests, and DJ and booze-filled parties as it is the sessions. Black t-shirts and jeans predominate among the mostly young adults, though many have … Read more

Arizona is faced with a dilemma: to possibly curb free speech or be left in a pre-digital age.

The state's legislature has been under fire the past few weeks for a bi-partisan bill that would revise its telephone harassment and stalking laws, according to the Associated Press. The law was written before the influx of computers and smartphones, and updates would add this modern technology into existing legislation.

On one hand, advocates of this law say it would make it easier to criminalize perpetrators who stalk their victims online or with text messages; but, on the other hand, free … Read more

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Mark Hurd made repeated sexual overtures--including kisses and inappropriate touching--according to the woman whose sexual harassment allegations led to Hurd's ouster.

The eight-page letter (see below), which was the subject of much contention, was written to Hurd by celebrity attorney Gloria Allred on behalf of Jodie Fisher, a former salesperson and one-time actress who accused the HP chief of trying to initiate an affair over a two-year period.

Hurd lost his battle to keep the letter confidential yesterday when a Delaware court ruled that Hurd had not established "good cause" to keep the letter … Read more

Mark Hurd, Hewlett-Packard's former CEO and now the current president of Oracle, lost his fight in court this week to keep confidential a letter alleging sexual harassment.

A Delaware court ruled yesterday that Hurd had not established "good cause" to keep the letter under wraps. (Here's the court record uploaded by All Things Digital's Arik Hesseldahl.)

The letter in question is from lawyers representing Jodie Fisher, a sometime actress who worked as a contractor for HP to its board of directors. In the letter, she accuses Hurd of harassment that occurred from 2007 to 2009. … Read more

A report from the University of New Hampshire's Crimes against Children Research Center shows a significant decrease in "unwanted online sexual solicitation" as well as "unwanted exposure to pornography" in recent years among children ages 10 to 17 years old. There was a small increase in online harassment.

Nine percent of respondents reported getting an unwanted sexual solicitation in 2010, compared with 13 percent in 2005 and 19 percent in 2000 -- a steady decrease. The percentage of youth who reported an unwanted exposure to pornography was 23 percent in 2010, down from 34 percent … Read more

commentary Mark Hurd is now a Silicon Valley symbol for self-destructive behavior.

On Friday, The Wall Street Journal and Fortune magazine published detailed reports on what prompted the HP board to ask then-CEO Hurd to resign in August. The stories paint a picture of a reckless man who was given the trust and support of HP's board only to repay that trust with betrayal.

The reports should finally silence the critics who slammed HP's board after Hurd was forced out of HP, after five years as CEO. Up to now, we knew few details about what led up … Read more

Hewlett-Packard's board of directors felt that Mark Hurd's settlement of a sexual harassment claim impeded its probe into allegations against its former chief executive's behavior, according to a Wall Street Journal report that cited people familiar with the matter.

The settlement between Hurd and Jodie Fisher, a former marketing contractor and sometime actress, was made without the board's knowledge and increased mistrust among board members who felt Hurd wasn't cooperating fully with their investigation into Fisher's claims, one source told the Journal.

However, a person described as being familiar with Hurd's thinking said … Read more

Before announcing that Mark Hurd's tenure at the helm of Hewlett-Packard had reached its end, the company's board of directors reportedly sought the advice of a public relations firm on how best to grapple with sexual harassment allegations against its chairman and chief executive officer.

During a presentation conducted by an APCO Worldwide representative, board members were convinced the company would have to endure months of humiliation if news of the allegations leaked to the public, according to a New York Times report that cited a person briefed on the presentation. The Washington, D.C.-based public relations … Read more

The woman at the center of the sexual harassment probe that led to the resignation of Hewlett-Packard CEO Mark Hurd has come forward and said she was taken aback by his departure from the Silicon Valley giant.

"I was surprised and saddened that Mark Hurd lost his job over this. That was never my intention," Jodie Fisher, a former salesperson and actress, said in a statement released Sunday by Los Angeles attorney Gloria Allred. Her statement confirms earlier reports that she had resolved her claim against Hurd and said the two of them did not have a sexual … Read more