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Computer Law/Unauthorized email access at work

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Expert: - 7/3/2011


Question
I believe someone has figured out the password to my email account at work and has used the information to add my email address to his mobile device so that my emails are constantly syncing with his device. This person is a co-worker so he would have his own company email on this device also.

Is this something that can be easily proved/tracked?
What would my IT dept need to look at to prove this?  I work for a small organization and don't have a lot of confidence in their ability to prove this without some guidance on what/where to look.
Thank you for your insight.

Answer
Hi Kris,

Well the first and easiest thing to stop this would be to change your password on the e-mail account and that would make it stop working on the cell phone as the password would not be correct on the remote device.

Your IT department would only have to look at the IP addresses that are accessing your account remotely and they would easily see a IP address from a mobile carrier. If that is the case, you have a crime and need those logs to report it to the police. With logs showing an IP address other than the ones you authorize, you have a crime and proof of that crime. The police should then take the logs, and send a subpoena to the carrier and get the user account that is doing the accessing. That's an easy case for them.

SO I would say, contact your IT department and ask them to look at the logs of the IP addresses accessing your e-mail account and if there are any strange or mobile carrier IP addresses, save the logs and call the police.

Hope this helps.  

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Chris Wagoner

Expertise

I can answer questions concerning Computer Crime Investigations and Internet investigations including Computer Crime Laws both at the State level and Federal level. I can answer questions on almost any crime in which a computer is used. In addition I can answer questions concerning copywrite infringement (peer to peer, and copying). I served as a police Commander and conducted and still conduct Computer Crime Investigations at the Local, State and Federal level. I have investigated all most any kind of crime with which or which involved a computer and the internet, from murders, kidnappings, extortion, drug dealing and more. I can answer questions concerning Computer Forensics (the art of recovering information from a suspects computer), Computer Crime Investigations and Internet Investigations. I am a Federally Court Recognized Expert in Computer Crime and Computer Forensics. I have worked in both Facebook and MySPace, also in Peer to Peer investigations. In addition I can answer questions concerning child predators and how to make your children safer on-line. I teach Computer Forensics, Internet Investigations, Peer to Peer Investigations and other computer crime related subjects for several colleges and the Institute of Police Technology and Management. My hobby webpage - Military Videos - http://www.youtube.com/user/3rdID8487

Experience

I conduct computer crime investigations in conjunction with the F.B.I., Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, Gainesville Police Department, and University of Florida Police Department, Levi County Sheriff’s Office, Starke Police Department and other agencies in the North Florida Court District. I provide the forensic data recovery services for those agencies as well as internet tracing and information gathering. I am a Federal Court Certified Expert in Computer Crime Investigations and Forensics. I teach Computer Forensics for the University of North Florida, Institute of Police Technology and Management. I also teach Computer Crime courses for Tallahassee Community College, Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Training Center. Associate Instructor; teach Computer Crime courses thorough out the world for IPTM. Presently Teach Cyber Crime Investigations, Computer Crime Investigations and Computer Forensic Data Recovery Course.

Education/Credentials
2 Degrees in Criminal Justice, now teach college level Data Forensics classes

Awards and Honors
Awarded the FBI Directors Award for assisting the FBI in a National Computer Crime Investigation. Awarded Dec 2002

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