Comments on: HP chairman: Use of pretexting 'embarrassing'

An investigation's method of scrutinizing board members and journalists was "wrong" and has left the company red-faced.
Full coverage: HP's boardroom drama
Hurd memo: We will take the necessary action

[jfmezei]

Board has no choice but to fire Dunn

At this point in time, the Board has no choice but to fire Dunn.

Keeping her would send a strong signal that HP condones Dunn's actions. And that would be a very bad signal to send.

Furthermore, HP's board should call on Mr Perkins to not only return, but assume chairmanship of the Board. Having someone with such strong ethical principles would send the right signal.

A board member who resigns because of principles is the right definition of "corporate governance". It means someone who will not tolerate unethical behaviour so he can leep the perks of a board membership.

[Gninnaf]

Does pretexting software come preinstalled on my HP computer?

There is no Question Dunn must resign or be removed. There is little doubt that criminal laws were broken, and someone is going to be indicted. The Ken Lay defense of I didnt know they were doing that has already been rejected by the courts. I see no reason why Dunn should not be charged.

[kchenderson]

Would make good Bush successor

This level of sleaze is all too common at the top levels of our businesses. I can remember when HP was a very well respected company, and I bought their instrumentation products without question. Now their products are not reliable and their management is sleazy.

[picketech]

hp?

Look, the board nor the shareholders need to vote as to what to do with Dunn. Ultimately it is the enduser, and the little resellers that have made this company. In my opinion if HP products were just not bought or sold, then there would be no mess of this nature. And since I'm both an enduser and a reseller, I've already voted!

[bdboyce]

Pretext or impersonate?

Pretexting is just pretending to be someone you're not and that's unacceptable.I don't know what ignoramus came up with the word pretext, but I'm sure it was sell an palatable idea to people.

[lshurr]

Or... Fraud!

Oh, no. Pretending to be someone I'm not in order to obtain privileged information I'm not entitled to? That's not fraud! Why that would be illegal! I'm just "pretexting." [Sarcasm Alert!]

[fred dunn]

Getting their records should have been easier?

How can a supposedly educated woman not know at the very least that the gathering of this type of information was not illegal and/or unethical?
She knew and others at HP knew exactly what they were doing.
Mark Hurd wants to wrap this up in one easy little package and sweep it under the rug. I have a better idea, start looking into the phone records of other major investors and stock analysts not recommending "Hold" or better.
I think this could make Enron look like a child's game.

[phillynets]

It was just Wrong, stupid

Everything coming out of HP about the pretexting is about it being embarassing and 'damaging to the brand' - but that's not the problem.

Your methods were wrong. Plain and simple. You hired people to hack your board. When someone jacks someone's personal data (like SecondLife's data disaster) we can all look back to HP's leadership in legitimizing espionage.

Way to go, jackasses.