Computer Fraud and Invasion of Privacy
I have had someone to illegally go into one of my email accounts and delete specific files. I know that this is a felony crime. I am trying to figure out the process of attaching the IP addresses that I have to the person I suspect has committed this crime.
Software/Hardware used:
Software/Hardware used:
ASKED:
May 23, 2008 5:45 PM
UPDATED:
May 27, 2008 2:44 PM
Answer Wiki:
you should try to look into the log files.
LOOK AT THE SECURITY LOG FILES - they should give you the ip for the computer that your looking for.
Once you have the IP use a "Whois" utility like http://samspade.org/. You will find the registrar for the domain then be able to contact the user's ISP (Internet Service Provider, like Verizon Online DSL). The ISP will be able to prosecute or cancel the user's account.
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You really have provided no details here. Are you talking about your company email account or a personal email account?
A company email account legally belongs to the company you work for. It is not legally yours, in point of fact.
If your HR department makes a request for emails sent to or from you your company is legally bound to provide them. If a legal representative in a lawsuit requests your emails your company is legally bound to provide them all without your knowledge or your consent.
Sometimes someone sends out an email by mistake and they send a request to have it deleted from every company email box it was sent to. If HR approves that request the email administrators can legally delete them as requested.
So your question and concern really depends here on whether you are talking about a personal or company email account.
Soeme email servers allow the user to ‘recall’ email sent to them.
I am going to assume a personal account or small business and you are a principle in the business and have ownership of your account.
IF you have the logs and so have the ip address of the person who deleted the email items then you now have to use legal means to get the owner of the IP addresses (probably an ISP) to provide you with the user account that was using that IP on that day at that time. They may keep these records, they may not.
To find the owner of the IP addresses use the whois application or a whois webapp. Then talk to your lawyer.
Hope this helps.
There’s a formal forensics process for this that may need to be done if you’re wanting to sue or prosecute. You’ll want to get your lawyer involved first. Then contacting law enforcement or a computer forensics expert/firm who can help may be your next steps.