Friday,Auqust1C,2002NATIONWisconsinStateJournal E -mail

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be cops jackpOtElectonicLiesareatreasuretroveforlaw-enforcementofficers.ByConnieCassAssociatedPressj\IHJNGTQN—Notsincetheglorydaysofletter-writing,beforetheadventofthetelephone,havepeoplecommittedsomuchrevealingstafftowrittenformastheydointheageofcomputers.E-mailrevealedtheshreddingofdocumentsatArthurAndersen,andexposedMerrillLynchanalystscondemningstocksasadisasterora‘dog”whilepubliclytoutingthemtoinvestors.Mid-AmericansentirnentsinmessagesTalibanfighterJohnWalkerLiridhandshoebombsuspectRichardReidsenttoWherearte-miIcanbefoundInthesender’sinterofficeserverandbackuptapes.Onereasonisthatcomputerdataaredifficulttodestroy.Justclicking“delete”won’tdoit,asOliverNorthlearnedduringthe1980sIran-Contraprobe,oneoftheearliestinvestigationstorelyonbackupcopiesofelectronicmessages.DeietedVfjlescanlinger,hidDeetedoestandefDOnceane-mailiswritten,evenifitisdeleted,itremainsinthecomputeruntilthespaceitoccupiesisoverwritten.Thisistrueforalltheserversthee-mailpassesthrough.Investigatorsareincreasinglymakinguseofe-mailsforbothcriminalandciviltrials.DntheserversoftheInternetserviceproviderandthemajortalecomprovider..___i•Allthosee-mailmessages.‘(andelectroniclesareatreatherecipient’ssuretroveofevidenceforlawinterofficeserveren.forcementofficerswhetherandbackuptapestheyaretargetingterroristscrooLedCBOsorlocaldrugdealershhddOntheharddriveThechallengeforpoliceandteeseerriveoftherecipientsprosecutorsislearninghowtoCamputercomputerandondigupandpreservetheseelecanyothertromcgemscomputerthat“AnyagentcancomeinandreceivesacopylookthroughpapersbutnotSOURCEKroIIOntrackInc.A?VevelyagentcandoathorougVV•Thebestwaytogetridofcàmputer,search,”saidDavidVV.AfldwhenWallStreetJour-VVcomputerdataistotaketheGreen,deputychiefoftheinsareporterDanielPearlwasVhàrddriveandpnunditwithaticeDepartuient’scomputerVlddnappandkilledinPaid-ha±rimerandthrowitVjflafjj1..Vcrimesection,whichhelpsVVStan,invëstigatorusedemajJsVnace,!saidJohnPatrakis,presIrainfederalandstateinvestfromhisabductorstotrackidentofGuidanceSoftware,gators.themdown.whichmakesforensicsoftwareGreenteachesthatamistakeWhendrugdealersarear-thathelpspoliceEndhiddenassimpleastuntingoffacornrestedpolicesearchtheirelec-ifiesputercanwipeawayvaluabletromcorga.ruzersandcell.-iEventhatmightnotworkevidence.Knowingsuchbasics;phonesforassociatesnameswithe-mail,whichmvestlgaVandthinsandoutsofPrracy.telephonenujiribersWhenItarsmayalsobeabletotracklaw,isessentialwhenelec-Vsomeoneisaccedofmolest—‘downinanempldyee’sofficeVtonicevidence.mayplayaroleingachild,hiscomputerisVserver,storedbyInternetpro-insomanycasessearchedforchildparnogravidersorintherecipientsV“It’slikethegiftthatkeepsphy.Whenacompanyissued,computer.onglving,”saidTomGreene,aVitcanbeforcedtoturnoverVVTogohuntingthroughcorn..‘.deputyattorneygeneralinCal-thousandsofemployeemes-VVputerdata,lawofficersneedaifornia,oneofthestatessuingVsages.VV,searchwarrantissuedbyaMicrosoftCorp.inanantitrust“E-mailhasbecomethejudge.WinninglegalVpermniscasebuiltlargelycmicomputer.placewhereeverybodylovestoVsiontoeavesdroponemailasmessages.“PeoplearesolOok,”saidIrwinSchwartz,it’stransmittedismorediffichattyine-mail.”VpresidentoftheNationalcult,becausethatiscDnsideredciaflonofCi-iminalDefensethesameaswiretappingateleLawyers.phone.investigatorsgenerallyneedacourtorderbasedon.probablecausethatthewiretapwillrevealevidenceofafeloily.Criminals,orpeoplewhosi.mplywanttoprotecttheirsecrets,canuseencryptionsoftwaretoscrambletheire-mail.Andspecialsoftwarecanover-A4AJ%D12.MondayApril11,2005Careftilwhatyoue-mailIfyouhaveanydou.btsthattheé-mailsyousendonyourofficepersonaicomputermightbeopentoscrutinybyyourboss,thinkagain.V“Almost33percentof140NorthAmericanbusinessesna&nwidereporttheyconductregularauditsofoutbounde-mailcontent,”accordingtoa2004studyby.ProofpointInc.,amessagingsecuritytechnicalfirminCupertino,Calif.,andForresterResearchInc.,inCambridge,Mass.Thestudy,whichincludesfirmswith20,000workersormore,alsoshowsthat43percentofthecompanies“employstaffthatmonitorsoutboundmail”—evenifreviewsarenotdoneona•regularbasis.Myadvice:Don’twriteanythinginane-mailthatyouwouldn’twanttoseeonyourofficebulletinboard—orannouncedoveryourcompany’sloudspeaker.-CarolKleima,writesabouttheworkplaceandcareersforVtheChica9oTribune.CAROLILEJMANe-mail it leaves .a trailAndit’sbeenthesmokingguniflmanyascandaLByGREGBURNSChiagbTrib1pCH3CAGO—AlbertoGon—zaleswon’tdoitanymoreandPresidentBushhasn’tdoneitinyears.ItgotHarryStonecipherfiredfromthetoppostatBoeingCo.,anditearnedinvestmentbankerFrankQuattronean18-monthprisonsentence.Theculprit?E-maiLIndispensableforunitingworkplacesandprivatelives,emailhasprovenadeptatbringingdownhighflyingcareersaswell.ThosebillionsofelectonicmessageSlurkingincyberspacehaveprovidedthesmokingguninscandalafterscandaL-Amongtopofficialsingoemmentandbusiness,balancingthebenefitsofe-mailwithitspotenthipitfallshasbecomeadifficultjudgmentcall.Withthenumberofmessagesskyrocketingnearlyeverycorpora--ionandarmofgovernmentjasimposedcommon-senseguidelinesfore-mailing.ManyusesophisticatedsoftwaretoreverthelesS,somehIghprofileindividualshaveconcludedtherisksofe-mailoutweighthebenefits.TheirdecisionsmayholdlessonsforlessprominentmembersofSocietywhocurrentlye-mail,sendinstantmessagesandblogwithabandon.AndtheypointtoacontinuingerosionofprivacyasdigitalcommunicationsadvancesAttorneyGeneralGonzalestoldtheChicagoTribuneeditorialboardlastweekthatheworriesabout“perfectlyinnocent”electiOruccomlflUlilcationbeingtwistedbycriticsoftheadministration.Withthatinmind,hehasgonecoldturkey“Idon’tgete-mailandIdon’tsende-mail,”hesaid.Hisboss,PresidentBush,hasswornitoffaswell.Onceanavide-rnailer,Bushsenthislastcyber-messageinthedaysbeforehis2001inauguration,tellingfriendsandfamilythathiscorrespondencewouldbeconsideredapublicrecordfromthemomenthetookoffice.InaspeechbeforetheAmericanSocietyofNewspaperEditorsthisspring,Bushexplainedthathewasforcedtogiveupe-mailtopreventthedisclosureof“personalstuff,”suchascorrespondencewithhisdaughters.“I’vemadeaneasydecisionthere,”hesaii“Ijustdon’tdoit.Whichissad,really,whenyouthinkaboutit.”AwarenessoftherisksisspreadingOutwardfromcornerofficesinManhatranandWashington,D.C.—thenation’sepicentersofhighprofflee-mailgaffes.ExecutivesinCaliforniastillhitthesendbuttonfartoomuchfortheirowngood,saidChicagocorporatelawyerRobertTarun.“E-mailtrafficamonghigh-levelexecsdecreasesfromtheWestCoasttotheEastCoast,buttheWestislearning.”Thehigh-levelparanoiaabouttheperilsofe-mailcomesamidboomingusage.ThenumberofactiveelectronicmailboxesintheworldhasmorethantripledoverthepastfiveyearstoLibillion,accordingtotheRadicatiGroupInc.,aCaliforniaresearchfirm.Messagesexceed20billionaday.Foreveryprominentpersonwhosteersclearofe-mail,manyothersembraceit.FormerSecretaryofStateCoHnPowell,nowworkingforaninvestmentbank,hasrhapsodizedaboutitsglobespanningqualities.SenateMajorityLeaderBillFristissaidtopreferhisBlackberrymessagingdevicetoaconversation,handsdown.AtAndrewCorp.,e-mailis“thelifeblood,”saidRalphFalson,chiefexecutiveoftheOrlandPark,ill-basedsupplierofhigh-techcommunicationsgear.“IcanbeinChinaandcommunicatewithfamilyandbusinesscolleaguesalmostinstantaneously.Icannotimaginesomeonethatdoesn’tusee-mail.Ifitdoesferretoutthosewhoaren’tpracticingproperbehavior,maybethat’spositive.”Defenselawyerssayit’snot;osimple,AspontaneouseForaHthepiouspronouncementspeoplemaloaboutexercisingcareandcaution,researchsuggeststhrevealmoreoncomputerthatheydoonpaperorinconversation.Andwhate-rnaiierhasnwantedonebackirnmediatelaftersendingit?MicharPietsch,publisheratLitthBrown,saidhehaslearnedtpassalongallcriticismorhanewsinperson,becausemailcancarryagreateremcflonalwallopthanintende“Ifyouhavesomethingnegfivetoexpress,don’tputitiane-mail,”hewarned.ForChicagoattorneyIchaelB.Hyman,whoreprsentsplaintiffsinclassactiore-mailshavebecomea“ho.anza,”becausetheyinvite“informalloweringoftiguard,”hesaid.“It’ssoeasypushthatbuttonandregretlateron.Evenifyoutrymakeitdisappear,thereawaystomakeitre-appear.”Thesamegoesforothdigitalcommunications..CWayBackMachine(www.wback-machine.orgi,forexanpie,Webpagesthatwetakendowncanberecoveryearslater.Aroundthetimee-mwasbecomingcommonthe1980s,OliverNorthoughtincriminatingmsageshadbeensafelydeletintheIran-ContrascandAsNorthlatertoldCongre“Wow,werewewrong.” VV ISCOII

SillTUESDAY,AUGLE” Some

shunToplawyershavebeenurgingthatkindofcautionforyears.E-mailisdangerouslyoverused,saidRobertMorvfflo,theNewYorkdefenseattorneywhodefendedMarthaStewarrinacriminalcasein--volvingadisputede-mail..Tlailinvolvesimprecision,and“Theypopupinvirtuallyicrypticphraseornot-soIeveryinvestigation.It’salmostiinnyjokecanunfairlysupii-—1._fl......-.*.-..-.‘;nrtA-nn-,r,,--,n;,-l-.-.--.-,—.÷;.-,.-,-Forallthepiouspronouncementspeoplmakeaboutexercisingcareandcaution,researchsuggeststheyrevealmoreonromouterthantheydo